


Our Future

by RizaHawkeye



Series: Revised Destiny [2]
Category: Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Action, F/F, Romance, Shoujo-ai, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2018-02-05 03:54:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 159,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1804330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RizaHawkeye/pseuds/RizaHawkeye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One battle has finished, but when a visitor from the future arrives their presence unwittingly brings yet another conflict into the lives of the Sailor Senshi. Sequel to 'Her Battle'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Chapter 1 – The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

* * *

_PANT_

" _Run for it!"_

_PANT_

" _We'll hold them back!"_

_PANT_

" _Get back to the palace!"_

_PANT_

" _Inform your mother and the Sailor Senshi!"_

_PANT_

Though a dense fog filled the area as far as the eye could see, someone's hard running could be heard clearly, as well as the person's heavy breathing that went along with it. The path the person ran cleared away some of the fog, though it didn't do much to increase visibility, however it made the person running visible. Her hair stood out more than anything, it was a bright pink and was done up in two high buns on either side of her head. Her hands went up to her eyes and quickly wiped them clear. She shook her head as she continued to run.

'I have to get away…but I don't know where I'm going…' the young girl thought as she slowed her run until she came to a stop. Her left hand reached up to her neck and pulled on the golden chain around her neck, until she revealed a small key that was previously hidden beneath her dress. She grabbed a small object and held it tightly in her hand. She remembered the small key glowing just a short time ago, just before she arrived in her current location. It saved her, she knew that, yet she was still leery about the object, mostly because she didn't know what would happen if she were to use it nor did she know the woman that gave it to her…

~~

"Keep that with you at all times, but don't let anyone see that, not even your parents."

"Who are you and what is this?" The pink haired girl asked as she looked up from the 'key' the woman had just placed in her hand.

The tall woman simply smiled and said, "When the time comes that you need a path opened for you, simply hold that in your hand and pray to Chronos that the path of light be opened for you." She began to walk away as soon as she was done talking, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"But who are you?"

Again the woman smiled warmly at her, "That is unimportant at the moment. Just know that I'm a friend of your parents and I would never hurt you, Small Lady."

The young Princess' eye's widened, 'How did she know to address me like that and not Princess Serenity?' She continued to stare at the woman and opened her mouth to voice her question, when she stopped because she heard someone knock on her bedroom door.

"Is there someone in there with you Small Lady? I thought I heard talking."

The young girl turned to the door quickly; "N-No, it's just me!" she called over her shoulder before turning back to the woman, only to find that she'd vanished.

~~

Small Lady took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 'That woman wasn't a bad person and this thing already saved me once…' She thought and dropped to one knee. "I pray to thee, God of time Chronos! Please open the path of light for me!"

She remained still for a short time after wards, expecting something to happen, but she didn't notice anything. She opened her eyes cautiously and looked around. Sure enough she was still in the same spot. She looked at the 'key' in her hand, 'Did I do something wrong?' she thought to herself. She didn't want to be trapped in this place forever; she didn't even know  _where_  it is that she was.

Suddenly the fog around her began to subside and just a short distance from where she knelt she could see a large set of doors that stood by themselves, without a wall to support it. She stood up slowly and walked over to the doors just as slowly. When she reached the doors, she walked around them and sure enough there was nothing behind them or around them, they were just a set of doors standing by themselves. Once she was standing in front of them again, or at least what she assumed it was the front, she examined the two doors. As peculiar as they already were, there didn't appear to be any means to open them, they had no handles. What good was a door if it can't be opened?

As she continued to stare at the doors a thought occurred to her. She slowly reached out her hand and touched one of the doors with the palm of her hand. As soon as she touched its surface, it began to glow causing the pink haired girl to jump back in surprise. After a few more seconds passed she could hear a creaking sound and before she knew it the doors had opened themselves fully to her.

She looked into the entryway, but couldn't see anything. It was pitch black beyond the doors, which made her leery about stepping through them. 'What am I doing? I don't even know what'll happen if I go in there.' She thought and looked around once more, but there didn't appear to be anywhere else she could go. She didn't have anyone she could ask for help, she was separated from everyone she cared about; she was alone in this unknown world. There was only one means of escaping and that stood in front of her. She stared at the darkness past the doors and took a deep breath. She took a couple cautious steps forward, but stopped right in front of the entrance. She waited a couple moments longer before closing her eyes and running through doorway. As soon as she stepped past the archway, the doors sealed shut behind her.

* * *

"The Princess has escaped!"

"What did you just say?"

"She escaped our ambush and fled somewhere. We aren't able to trace her whereabouts."

The large figure punched the wall to his left, causing it to crumble to the ground, "I don't care what it takes, find her! Set loose a tracker, immediately! She must be captured at once! All of our lives hinge on it!" He watched his subordinate run off before he began pacing back and forth. He needed to report back in soon and he needed to give a good report especially after his last mission failed. 'Where the Hell could that brat have escaped to?' He thought to himself angrily.

* * *

In Tokyo, a good size shrine sat atop a rather large hill, its name Hikawa Jinja. Currently only four people were at the shrine, but two were in the process of leaving the building and it's those two that would soon find themselves drawn into yet another conflict…

The raven haired girl looked up thoughtfully, "You know there's a small ramen shop just down the street, do you want to try them?"

"Sure, that'd be fine." The blond haired girl chirped.

As they reached the exit to the main shrine they stopped. "Usa, do you think we should…you know…act…normally in front of Jii-chan?" The darker haired girl said awkwardly.

"Because he doesn't know about us yet?" Usagi questioned.

"…Yeah." Rei said quietly and paused before adding, "I mean…I want to tell him, just not yet…"

Usagi removed her arm from around her girlfriend's waist, "I understand." She said with a smile.

Likewise, Rei removed her arm that rested cross Usagi's shoulders. Instead, she took her Princess' hand in hers, "Thanks." With that the two girls walked out of the jinja, not noticing a young man step out of a room near where they stood moments before.

Once they stepped outside they spotted Rei's grandfather in the courtyard. "Jii-chan! Usagi and I are going to grab some lunch, okay?"

The elderly man looked up to the two girls, "All right, don't stay out too late though."

"We won't." Rei promised. After wards she squeezed the hand she held slightly prompting the other girl to look at her. "Let's go." She whispered and they hurried toward the stairs that would lead them to the street below. Before they knew it they'd reached the bottom of the steps, but before they could proceed any further, Rei froze. "Oh jeez, I forgot my money in my room. Wait here, I'll be right back." Rei said and sprinted up the stairs, two at a time, back to the main shrine.

Usagi leaned against the large torii that marked the entrance into the Hikawa Jinja at the base of the stairs. 'I hope Rei hurries, I'm hungry.' she thought and then heard a loud boom that sounded like thunder, but the sky was clear. Usagi looked up hoping to find an answer above her head. Usagi's eyes widened when she saw someone falling out of the sky, and heading straight for her. Usagi yelled as the 'person from the sky' collided with her.

'I know I left it in here somewhere.' Rei thought to herself and smiled triumphantly when she saw the money sitting on her dresser. She quickly grabbed it and shoved it into her jean pocket, when she heard a loud boom from outside followed by a girl yelling. 'Usagi!' Rei thought as she ran from her room as fast as she could.

"Ouch!" exclaimed the person on top of Usagi.

"I think that's my line!" Usagi said as she turned her head to see exactly who was sitting on top of her. When she saw who it was though her eyes widened and she couldn't seem to find her voice.

A girl that appeared to be in her early teens with pink hair done up in similar style to Usagi's looked down at the person who broke her fall. The pink haired girl smiled and waved sheepishly at Usagi, "Hi mom."

Just then, Rei came running down the steps of the shrine, only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight at the bottom of the stairs. Rei found herself in a similar state as Usagi; she was speechless and couldn't seem to move. Rei opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't get anything out other than a few indiscernible words. The girl at the bottom of the stairs must have heard Rei's pathetic attempt at speech because she turned her attention to the raven-haired priestess.

The girl's smile grew even wider when she saw the woman that was half way down the stairs, "Mama!" She exclaimed and quickly got off of Usagi and ran to shocked priestess.

"Oof!" Usagi groaned as the young girl roughly got off of her and ran to Rei. The pink haired girl ran up the stairs to reach Rei and when she finally did, she collided with her and threw her arms around the priestess, nearly knocking her to the ground.

"Um…?" Rei said after finally finding her voice.

The young girl looked up at Rei with the same big smile on her face, "Yes Mama?"

Rei looked at the girl in total shock and honestly, she felt a little light headed, "Ma…"

"…Ma" Usagi, still lying on the ground, finished with the same shocked expression as Rei.

Rei looked down at the girl holding her with an astonished expression. She never actually admitted to Usagi, but her biggest worry about telling Usagi how she felt, other than rejection was jeopardizing this girl's life. Yet here she was clinging on her, something Chibi-Usa had never done to her before; to Mamoru sure but…Chibi-Usa called her something she had never called her before, 'Mama'.

Usagi finally made her way up the stairs to where Rei and Chibi-Usa were. Rei looked at her love for answers, but she was just as confused as Rei. Not only were both girls shocked to see Chibi-Usa, they were also shocked to hear how she addressed them. She'd never called Usagi 'mother'…never. Even though both knew she'd be her mother in the future, they always separated the two, her future self and her present self.

The silence was unnerving the pink-haired girl, 'They could at least say something. Aren't they happy to see me?' She thought to herself. She looked up at Rei with a sad face, "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Rei looked down and met Chibi-Usa's gaze and when she did, she could see the hurt there, the hurt she had unwittingly caused. "Of course we're happy to see you. You've just taken us by surprise, that's all." Rei explained.

"I'm glad; I thought you might be upset with me." The young girl said in a relieved voice.

"Why would that be?" Rei asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Well, it's sort of a long story..." The young girl said and took a step back from the dark haired girl. When she looked at the woman before her again, she realized something was off. She didn't really examine her before running to her, because she knew what she felt, this was her mother's aura, yet now that she looked her she could see that she looked younger and she wore clothes she never seen her wear. She looked over her shoulder to the woman behind her, but the same was true of her. She turned forward again, "Where am I?" She asked uneasily and unconsciously took a step back from the dark haired woman. She must have forgotten she was on stairs because when she took her step backwards, she lost her balance and began to fall.

Reacting quickly, Rei reached out and grabbed the girl and pulled her against herself before she could fall down the stone steps. "Hey, be careful." She cautioned gently.

The pink haired girl held on to Rei tightly, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, she'd nearly fallen but she was saved. The longer she stayed in the other girl's arms, the surer she was that she was being held by her mother, but she didn't know what was going on. As soon she felt her parents, she immediately thought she was transported back to the palace, but that definitely didn't seem to be the case anymore.

Usagi stepped closer to the duo and examined the girl, 'Could this really be Chibi-Usa? Is it somehow possible that she was still born?' She questioned herself. Usagi's heart swelled with joy at that realization. She'd already thought about a couple ways that would allow her future daughter to still be born, but to see her in the flesh gave her the reassurance that everything would really work out in the future. The only noticeable difference between the Chibi-Usa holding Rei's waist and the Chibi-Usa she met before was her eye color. Instead of being the red, she remembered her eyes were now a deep blue; a color that fell somewhere between Usagi's blue eyes and Rei's amethyst ones. Chibi-Usa seemed to have aged somewhat since she'd last seen her as well; she had to be at least 13.

"I-Is that re-really you Chibi-Usa?" Usagi asked somewhat cautiously.

The pink haired girl loosened her hold on Rei and faced the blonde haired girl. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at Usagi strangely. "Who's Chibi-Usa?" She responded simply.

Usagi's smile dropped at hearing that, if she's not Chibi-Usa who was she?

Rei let go of the girl and knelt down on one knee, so she look the young girl in her eyes, "You're not Chibi-Usa?"

The pink haired girl shook her head 'no' slowly and watched the two women's crestfallen expressions. She looked down sadly. She didn't understand what was wrong or who Chibi-Usa was.

Rei tilted up her chin slightly, so she look the girl in the again, "What is your name then?"

"My name is Usagi Small Lady Serenity."

"She's not lying, Usagi." Rei said and looked over to her girlfriend.

Upon hear that name she remembered hearing it once before, when Chibi-Usa first came to the past. "That's her full name in the future. That's Chibi-Usa's full name in the future!" Usagi exclaimed.

"What?" The miko blurted out without thinking.

The younger girl looked between the two women, confusion clearly written on her face. 'What does she mean  _in the future_? Where am I exactly?' She asked herself before focusing back on to the dark haired girl she was closest to, "I don't understand. What about the future?"

"You don't remember how you got here?" Rei asked.

Without thinking she was about to pull out the 'key' that she was given to her when she remembered the words of the woman that gave it to her. She wasn't supposed to show anyone. Instead, she just shook her head unsure how else to explain how she arrived where she was,  _wherever_ it was.

The dark haired girl put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "It's alright, we'll figure this out."

Usagi walked up the steps and stood one step behind the pink haired girl. She tapped the younger girl on the shoulder, prompting her to turn around. Almost immediately she was met with a warm hug, "I'm really glad to see you again." She said and held her a little tighter, "I was afraid…"

The young Princess was about to question what she meant by that, when Rei spoke before she could.

"What do you say we go somewhere else and talk for a bit?" Rei said as she saw some visitors coming up the stone steps.

"All right." Usagi agreed and stood up; extending her hand to the girl she was just holding. The pink haired girl nodded her head slowly before taking the offered hand and being lead down the steps with the two women.

* * *

The hulking figure sat at a makeshift table and stared into a monitor-like device as he spoke, "My deepest apologizes. I sent out a tracker to determine her whereabouts…" before he could finish a voice interrupted him.

"You are completely incompetent! You have until the sun crests over the horizon to find her…" with that the screen he was speaking into became fuzzy.

"Damn it!" He cursed loudly and punched the table he sat at. "Where the hell is that bastard? Haven't we gotten word back yet?" Just then he saw someone running up to him, "What is it?"

"We believe we may have located where the Princess went!"

He stood up quickly, "Good. Where is she?" His companion stepped forward and whispered something in to his ear. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know sir. Do you wish me to send a Shade to verify?" He asked.

"Yes, I must know for sure before reporting anything in." He said and motioned for his subordinate to continue.

* * *

The three girls walked down the street and when they reached the end of the block Rei looked down at the girl between Usagi and herself, "Do you think we should get her something else to wear?" she asked and looked over to her blonde haired companion.

Usagi looked at the younger girl for a moment, 'She is dressed very regally especially compared Rei and I.' she thought as she looked at how they were dressed in comparison. Rei wore a pair of boot-cut jeans and simple short sleeve form fitting black shirt. While she wore a knee length white pleated skirt and a short sleeved pink polo.

The pink haired girl looked at her dress, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked, sounding a little hurt. She was wearing a one-piece white dress with puffs of sheer white fabric on each of her shoulder and accented with several golden circles across the bust, which is traditional attire for a princess.

"Nothing is wrong with it." Rei stated quickly before adding, "It's just a bit too formal."

"She's right Chi…" Usagi stopped mid-sentence, drawing the attention of her two companions. She walked in front of them and bent forward slightly, "What does everyone usually call you?"

"Usagi, that's a little rude saying it like that." Rei chastised.

The blonde haired girl stood up fully and looked over to her girlfriend, "I didn't mean it like that. I just want to call her by a name she's comfortable with. I don't want call her Chibi-Usa if she'd rather be called something else."

"Usagi, that's still…"

"You can call me Chibi-Usa if you want." The pink haired girl interrupted the little squabble, forcing both girls to look at her. She looked down and quietly added, "Everyone usually calls me Small Lady."

"Are you sure Chibi-Usa is fine?" Usagi asked, causing her to nod her head in response. "All right, let's get you some different clothes, Chibi-Usa." She said and extended her hand to the younger girl. She quickly took the offered hand and offered her free one to Rei. The raven haired girl took her hand and they continued walking again.

* * *

Haruka stepped out of her car and paused for a moment before shutting the door. She looked around as though she was expecting someone to show up out of thin air.

"What's wrong, Ruka?" Michiru asked and shut the passenger side door.

The sandy blonde closed her eyes for a couple seconds before looking at her lover, "I'm not sure…I thought I felt a strange wind just as soon as I got out of the car." She said and closed the car door.

"An enemy?" Hotaru asked as she walked around the back of the car and stood beside her guardian.

"I'm not sure. It might be something else." She said, her brow creasing in thought.

"Can you sense anything, Michiru?" Hotaru asked, looking over to her other guardian.

She closed her eyes for a short time and when she opened them once more, she shook her head. "I don't sense anything."

"It might just be because of the changes happening right now that I'm feeling the change in the wind." Haruka said and shrugged her shoulders slightly. All three girls started to make their way to their house afterwards, the youngest of them trailing behind slightly.

* * *

Rei walked over to Usagi, who sat in front of a dressing room curtain. She leaned against the wall beside the blonde and asked, "Is this real Usa?" Usagi looked over to Rei fondly and smiled. She reached over and gave Rei a quick pinch on her exposed arm, "Oww, what did you do that for?" Rei asked and rubbed the small red spot on her arm.

Usagi smiled wider before answering, "I'm just proving to you that this isn't a dream or anything."

"You couldn't have thought of a less painful way?" Rei asked, still rubbing her arm.

"Sure." Usagi said and smiled sweetly. She then proceeded to take Rei's arm in her hands and rub the reddened area, before planting a feather light kiss on it. Rei could feel her cheeks warm at Usagi's displays of affection. Even though she always wished for Usagi show that kind of affection for her openly, she still felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn't really had anyone in her life she could call her 'significant other'; she only had her dreams until now.

Just then a hand reached from behind the curtain and tapped Usagi on the shoulder. The blonde looked at the still drawn curtain and asked, "What's wrong?"

It took a couple seconds before a reply came, "Can I have some help with the zipper?" She asked quietly.

Usagi smiled again and answered, "Sure." She stood up, "I'm coming in now."

Rei waited patiently waited outside the stall. As she stood by herself her thoughts drifted off to the young girl that had interrupted Usagi and her, 'Did something happen to make her forget? Or…' Her thoughts were cut off by a voice behind the curtain, it was Usagi.

"We're coming out."

A couple seconds later the curtain was pulled back and out walked Chibi-Usa followed by Usagi. The pink haired girl's cheeks had a hue of pink to them as she modeled the dress she wore. The dress was a white one-piece with several red flower patterns all over the fabric. "The clothing here is weird, but I like this." Chibi-Usa said as she turned around for Rei.

The raven haired girl smiled, "You look very pretty." The younger girl blushed slightly deeper and smiled brightly at the comment. Rei looked more serious as she sat down in the chair that was previously occupied by Usagi, "Can I ask you something?" Chibi-Usa nodded her head slowly in response. "When you arrived at the shrine…you didn't realize you'd traveled back to the 20th century, did you?"

'I went back in time? Is that why everything is so different? I hope everyone's still all right …' Chibi-Usa thought to herself. She shook her head slowly, "No, I didn't know."

Usagi knelt beside Rei, "Did something happen in the future?"

The younger girl was about to say something when a sales associate came over and asked them if they were all ready.

The miko looked up and smiled, "Yes, we are. Do you mind if she wears it out of the store?" She asked as she stood up.

"That would be fine." The sales person said and smiled before adding, "Right this way." She then began walking towards the front registers. The three girls followed after her and just a short time after that, they were leaving the store.

As soon as they stepped outside, Rei turned to her companions, "Let's go Ichinohashi Park to talk. It should be pretty quiet right now."

"Are you sure?" Usagi questioned, as she thought back to the last time she was at that particular park.

Rei nodded her head, "Yeah. We can't let unpleasant events in the past affect our lives now."

The Moon Princess smiled and nodded her head as well. After several minutes of walking they arrived at the park. Chibi-Usa was the first one to the entrance and ran into the park before Rei or Usagi could. She'd never seen anything like this where she came from.

"Hey, don't run ahead! You don't know your way around here!" Rei called.

Usagi inched closer to her girlfriend and whispered, "Do you think she has amnesia or something?"

The raven haired girl watched the young pink haired girl a little longer before glancing over to her right, "I don't know…but if I were to guess, I'd say she's the way she is because of us."

A curious look crossed Usagi's face, "Because of  _us_?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah. Because we chose…" She paused and looked around. After a moment her eyes became fixated on the ground ahead of them, "Usagi, transform now!" The other girl nodded quickly, she didn't know what was happening, but she could hear the urgency in Rei's voice.

"Moon Crisis, Make Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Chibi-Usa looked around, 'This is really nothing like home.' She wasn't familiar with this world nor was she entirely sure how it was that she traveled to past. She did realize that the 'key' around her neck was responsible for sending her where she was, but she didn't think such a thing existed. She touched the fabric on her chest, where she felt the small object, 'If it could send me here…perhaps it can send me back as well…' She thought and turned around, but she was surprised by what she saw, 'Why did they did they transform?'

Mars looked out and scanned the ground, 'Where is it going to come from?' A couple seconds later eyes focused on Chibi-Usa and her eyes widened, 'It's not us…" She quickly darted toward the pink haired girl as fast as she could. Moon was about to say something when she felt the ground start to shake. In seconds, she swiftly picked smaller girl up and ran away with her in her arms. Barely a second later, a large monster sprang up from the ground exactly where Chibi-Usa was standing moments ago, sending concrete and dirt into the air.

The pink haired girl's eyes widened as she saw the monster erupt from the ground, just barely missing her, thanks to Mars. "T-Thank you."

Mars looked down at the young girl, "You don't have to thank me, I'm just glad I reached you in time. Can you transform?"

The young girl's eyes suddenly filled with tears as she looked up at Mars, "I'm s-sorry, I-I…"

Mars sighed inaudibly, "It's ok, you can tell me later." She said quietly. She looked over her shoulder to Sailor Moon to see how she was doing, she was dodging the attacks thankfully, but she didn't know how much longer that would last. Mars ran behind a large tree and gently put the pink haired girl down, "I have to help Usagi, will you be alright here?"

Chibi-Usa nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine." She said and saw Mars nod back to her before running over to Sailor Moon.

As soon as Mars was far enough away, she took out the key that hung around her neck, 'I'm sorry, I have to go back if I can…I have to make sure everyone is still alright.' She dropped to her knees and held the key tightly in her hand, "I pray to thee, God of time Chronos. Please open the path of light for me." She kept her voice down, so as not to draw attention to herself and remained still, waiting for something to happen. She mentally kept track of how much time passed in her, several minutes had gone by and nothing happened. She stood up and looked at the key in her hand, 'Am I stuck here?'

She couldn't ignore the sounds of battle just beyond where she was, so she turned to how they were doing. As she watched Mars and Moon fight her mind drifted back to her parents, she'd never seen them fight before. She'd heard the Senshi tell stories, but it was different seeing them actually fight. They were strong together; they were pushing back the demon even without knowing its weak points, but they wouldn't win like they were fighting, they'd run out of energy… 'I have to help them…I can't let them lose here.'

* * *

Mars threw a punch in what she assumed be his stomach region. The youma appeared to see the strike coming, but he made no effort to move. Mars' punch remained true, but much to her horror she was the one grimacing in pain, not the youma. Mars saw the youma rear back his large arm, seemingly to swat her away, but she quickly back-flipped away from the creature. She landed a fair distance away from the youma; in fact, she now stood beside Sailor Moon.

"Are you alright?" Moon asked the concern noticeable in her voice.

Mars looked at her knuckles and made a fist a few times, she cursed inwardly. Her fingers and knuckles were torn up pretty bad, not to mention how much they stung, but she'd been through worse. Mars looked up to see Sailor Moon staring at her, the blonde's eyes were traveling to her injured hand but Mars hastily lower into her side, away from Moon's line of sight. "I'm fine, but what on Earth is that thing made of?"

"Rock. It's a rock demon."

Both senshi turned to the pink haired girl at the same time. "What?"

"It's a rock demon: it has a strong outer defense. They aren't intelligent but they are strong and hard to take down." Chibi-Usa explained.

"That would explain why my attacks haven't been of much use against that thing." Mars stated.

"How do you know all of this?" Sailor Moon asked.

The younger girl hesitated for a short time before answering, "I've seen one before."

"What do you…" Moon started to say, but heard the youma growl behind her. She turned around and saw a large rock heading at her. She gasped as she felt someone collide with her and knock her to the ground. She felt someone on top of her and when she looked, she saw Mars' worried face looking down at her, "Thanks."

"Usagi don't completely forget about the youma." Mars whispered and pulled herself off her girlfriend. As soon as she stood up, she offered her hand to Sailor Moon and brought her up with her. She turned her attention to the youma before looking at the girl behind for a moment, "He must have some kind of weakness though…"

"He does…" The young girl started to say before diving to her left, barely avoiding a large rock flying in her direction. The two senshi turned their full attention to the monster, which was currently lowering one of his bulky extremities.

"Usagi, make sure Chibi-Usa is okay. I'll keep this thing busy."

"Are you sure that you'll be okay?" Moon asked quickly.

"Yes, just check on Chibi-Usa." Mars said and ran at the youma.

Sailor Moon nodded and ran over to the girl that was just attacked. As soon as she reached her, she knelt on the ground beside Chibi-Usa, who was still lying on the ground. "Are you okay?" The younger girl nodded her head, even though she was still shaken, she wasn't hurt. "How do we take down that thing?"

Chibi-Usa sat up, "It has two weaknesses. Its eyes and throat are its weak points. If you attack them, you can defeat him." She said and saw another of Mars' fire attack hit the monster in the chest, but have no effect on him.

"How have you seen that thing before?"

She shook her head, "That's not important now. Please help her, Mama." She pleaded.

Moon nodded her head, "All right. Stay out of sight until we take down that youma." She said in a protective tone.

"I will." She replied and ran back over to where Mars had originally hid her.

Sailor Moon ran over to where Mars and the youma were fighting. As she approached she saw the creature rear back his arm to strike Mars, so she quickly grabbed her tiara and shouted…

"Moon Tiara Action!"

The golden disc left her hand and sailed through the air until it collided with the youma's arm, halting its progress, but not cutting through his tough exterior. Once Mars noticed the youma wasn't going to attack her, so she leapt backwards, landing near Moon. She dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. Moon dropped to her knees beside her and looked at her with concern, "Are you okay, Rei?"

After taking a couple more deep breaths she said, "Yeah, he's just tougher than I thought he was going to be. I can't hurt him even though I'm targeting the same spot every time I attack. Is Chibi-Usa okay?"

"Yeah, she also told me he's weakest around his throat and his eyes."

Mars nodded her head, "He's strong but he doesn't move very fast, so I think I can get behind him. You can still use your tiara to blind things right?" She asked and looked over to her Princess for confirmation.

She nodded her head, "Yeah, but what are you going to do when you get behind him?"

The raven haired girl smiled and simply said, "You'll see, I've got something in mind." Mars stood up afterward, followed by Sailor Moon doing the same. Mars ran toward the youma, taking a wide angle to get to him, but before she was too close she called to Sailor Moon, "Give me some cover!" Moon nodded and touched the crescent moon on her tiara before calling out…

"Moon Twilight Flash!"

Mars closed her eyes when she heard Moon complete her attack phrase, but continued to run at the youma. When she felt she was close enough to the youma, she leapt at the creature. She landed on the youma in such a way that she was straddling its neck, with a leg on each shoulder. "Open wide!" Mars yelled and pointed her hand at the youma's face. He opened his mouth, be it because he was going to say something or merely growl as he'd mainly been doing rather than talking, it didn't matter because Mars took the opportunity to put her hand in the creature's mouth, "Thank you…"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

She let go of her attack and quickly removed her hand, but the flaming arrow effected the youma sooner than she'd expected. She was about to jump away from him when he unexpectedly exploded, sending her through the air for a few seconds until she collided roughly with the ground.

"Rei!" Sailor Moon called and ran over to the raven haired girl as fast as she could. When she reach her, she was laying back on the grass laughing, "Don't ever do something like that again!" Moon yelled.

Mars looked over to her girlfriend and gave her a half smile, "It destroyed the youma didn't it."

"I don't care about that! I don't want you to do anything so reckless ever again." Moon covered her eyes with a gloved hand before adding in quieter voice, "What if you got hurt in that explosion?"

Mars sighed softly and walked over to her upset girlfriend. She placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, "I'm sorry Usagi. I didn't mean to worry you." After apologizing, she wrapped her arms around the blond and held her in a tender hug.

The young pink haired girl stepped out from her hiding place and stared at the two women in an embrace. She looked at the ground for a couple minutes, before lifting her head and running towards the couple. It seemed she didn't have any way of getting home, which meant she'd have to hope everything remained all right. She wasn't sure if she should tell them about what was happening in the future, she had read books that had time-traveling in them after all, she'd read how a simple of the tongue could have bad repercussions. She wasn't sure how much in those books was true, but she didn't think she wanted to risk anything like that happening. One thing she was sure about, she could depend on them.

End Ch. 1

* * *


	2. A Not So Perfect Reunion

Chapter 2 – A Not So Perfect Reunion

* * *

 

"Well?"

The kneeling man looked over his shoulder at the larger man that had just approached him, "No, no word has come back yet."

"What's taking so long?"

The man on the ground turned back to the portal in front of them and closed his eyes, "I am unsure. We've never attempted to open a gateway to the past. It's possible something went wrong and they didn't make it there."

"That's unacceptable! If that brat could make it to the past, there's no reason why we can't as well!"

"I'm merely theorizing here, sir. I don't know for sure what happened…perhaps we should be more patient…"

The man looked into the distance, 'The sun will soon be visible…' After a few seconds, he stomped away, "I don't have time to be patient! Send someone else through!"

* * *

The young pink haired girl stepped out from her hiding place and stared at the two women in an embrace. She looked at the ground for a couple minutes, before lifting her head and running towards the couple. It seemed she didn't have any way of getting home, which meant she'd have to hope everything remained all right. She wasn't sure if she should tell them about what was happening in the future, she had read books that had time-traveling in them after all, she'd read how a simple slip of the tongue could have bad repercussions. She wasn't sure how much in those books was true, but she didn't think she wanted to risk anything like that happening. One thing she was sure about, she could depend on them.

Not wasting another moment, she ran toward the two women. As soon as she reached them she collided with them and quickly hugged the both of them. "I'm so glad both of you are alright."

Both girls smiled at the younger girl and hugged her back. "And we're glad you're safe as well." Moon said after a few moments, afterwards the girls released each other. Mars took a couple steps away from her companions and undid her transformation, causing Usagi to do the same. Rei looked around at the damage their battle had caused and as she did, a myriad of questions filled her head. Questions about the youma, as well as questions about…

Usagi stepped beside Rei, "What is it?"

"Something feels off about this." She replied quietly before turning her attention to Chibi-Usa, who had made her way next to her as well. She didn't want to throw question after question at the poor girl, though there were some things she really felt she needed to ask. "Chibi-Usa, where have you seen that monster before?"

She looked away from the dark haired girl's questioning eyes; she knew that question would be coming and she knew that she'd have to give an answer. She closed her eyes for a couple seconds before she looked up, "As I already told you, I've seen one before. I guess I should say I've seen one destroyed before. It wasn't an easy fight, but it was defeated. Since I saw what worked against it and what didn't, I knew its weaknesses."

Rei nodded before asking, "You didn't fight it though, right?"

The younger girl shook her head no, "I can't transform."

Both girls stared at her, one with a look curiosity and the other with a look of understanding at the confirmation. "Why can't you transform?"

"I-I just ca-can't." Chibi-Usa replied quietly and looked downward.

"Usagi…" Rei whispered and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, squeezing it slightly, causing her to look at her questioningly. Rei shook her head, "Let's just leave it at that for now." The blonde haired girl nodded slowly in response. Rei walked over and stood beside, the younger girl, "Don't worry about it. We'll have time later…"

"N-No. It's fine; it's my fault anyway…" She said and looked up, "Even though I have the ability within me, I've never been able to manifest any of it. I've tried for several decades already and I can't do it no matter what I try." The pink haired girl lowered her head disappointedly.

Usagi remembered the first time she transformed; it was like second nature to her. It freaked her out the first time she did it, but it wasn't anything that required any practice. From what she remembered, Setsuna said the Sailor Senshi had to go through some kind of training, but she wasn't entirely sure how that worked because didn't remember any of that. She didn't know for sure, but she didn't think that she did anything like that because as far as she knew she wasn't able to transform into Sailor Moon during the Silver Millennium.

Rei remembered how very easy it was to transform into Sailor Mars for the very first time, back in the Silver Millennium. She'd trained for several years, before she inherited the power to become Sailor Mars. In this time it was already her power, she just need to awaken it again, her soul was already familiar with the power from her previous life. Perhaps it was different for someone born into that power, because if she'd already trained for several decades but still had yet to awaken, maybe she needed to do something different than she was already doing.

Usagi and Rei looked at each other and nodded. They didn't know what the problem was, but one thing they knew for sure was…

"It's not your fault." Rei and Usagi said together.

Chibi-Usa looked up quickly, her eyes shone with unshed tears, "Thank you." She said and walked over and hugged the two women. She hadn't really voiced her opinion about why she was unable to transform to anyone. She felt better having gotten that off her chest, but she felt even better hearing the two women before her tell her that it wasn't her fault.

"Whatever the reason, you can be sure…" Rei paused when she heard sirens getting closer, "It's about time we left."

Usagi nodded her head, "I think we've stayed around here long enough." She said and extended her hand to the shorter pink haired girl. She took the offered hand, though she was a little confused. As soon as Usagi had a firm grip she started to pull the other girl along with her as both she and Rei ran out of the park.

"Why are we running away?"

"Well, it's best that no one knows that we had anything to do with what happened there." Rei explained.

"Why?"

"People wouldn't be able to handle it." Usagi said quietly.

"And if we were to broadcast that we were in anyway associated with what happened there, it could potentially draw the attention of any of our enemies, which would not only put us in danger, but also those around us." Rei explained further. The three girls were silent as they ran a short time longer. Rei came to a stop after they were a little more than a block away from the park and looked over to Usagi, "We have to call a meeting."

The blonde haired girl nodded, "Yeah and not just because of the youma…" Her eyes drifted over to the pink haired girl as she finished her thought.

Chibi-Usa looked at them, "What is it?"

Usagi smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing."

There was silence between them for a short time before Rei asked, "Should we call Mamoru as well?"

Usagi looked a little surprised by the question, but then looked at Chibi-Usa for a second before looking at Rei. She realized what her girlfriend was  _really_  asking; did you want to tell him about the pink haired girl with them? She bowed her head slightly, "No, I think we should talk with him separately from the girls."

The dark haired girl sighed, "I think that would probably be for the best as well." She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small circular device. She pressed a couple buttons that would allow her to speak with all the senshi at once, "Everyone, something has come up. Usagi and I need everyone to meet over at the jinja in an hour. I repeat, everyone report over to the jinja in one hour." She pressed one more button, closing off communication. She put the device back into her pocket, "Let's head back to the jinja."

* * *

Ami and Makoto's heads shot up as they heard their communicators come to life. They could hear Rei's voice within seconds. After listening to the message they both heaved a sigh of relief. They were thankful it wasn't a distress call, but it was important none the less because Rei clearly sounded serious and the fact that she was calling  _everyone_  over to her home meant something had happened. Both girls just prayed it wasn't what they thought it was…some kind of new enemy.

"We'd better get dressed." Makoto said as she looked over her girlfriend, who nodded her head and swung her legs over the edge of the bed and went to grab her clothes. Makoto followed the blue haired girl's lead and quickly got off the bed and searched for her clothes.

* * *

Minako got up and walked over to the door to her room. Before reaching the knob she turned to Artemis, "I'm going out for some fresh air. I'll be back in about an hour." She said and turned the doorknob, but before she could open it her communicator activated. She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled the device. When she looked at the screen it said 'audio only' and in seconds Rei's voice could be heard coming from the small object.

"Everyone, something has come up. Usagi and I need everyone to meet over at the jinja in an hour. I repeat, everyone report over to the jinja in one hour."

She quickly turned off the device and put it back into her pocket before looking over to the white cat on her bed, "Artemis, I that means a change of plans. I'll see you afterwards and let you know what happened." She said before quickly exiting the without waiting the cat's reply.

* * *

Haruka opened the front door and stepped back while still holding the door open, allowing her companions to enter before her. As soon as they entered Haruka was about to close the door, when their communicators turned on. They looked at each other before all of them pulled out the small device. After listening to the message they looked at each other once again.

"Something  _did_  happen after we left them." Haruka said as she put away her communicator.

"It wasn't a distress call, so what ever happened, they dealt with it, but it was something significant enough for them to call a meeting." Michiru said.

"…Another enemy?" Hotaru speculated aloud.

"I thought you said there wasn't an immediate threat?" Haruka said and turned to the youngest member in their group.

Hotaru shook her head, "I was only theorizing since Setsuna didn't mention anything directly, but it could be that she didn't realize our next enemy would show up so soon."

"Let's see what they have to say at the meeting before jumping to conclusions." Michiru said and opened the passenger side door again. The two other girls entered the car moments later.

Haruka turned on the car and looked over her shoulder to her two companions, "We won't know until we get there." She said turned forward before driving off.

* * *

When they reached the steps to the jinja, Rei stopped and looked Usagi, "Jii-chan already knows Chibi-Usa, so it shouldn't take much of an explanation as to why she's with us, but…" she trailed off and looked over to the pink haired girl. "Chibi-Usa, you're going to have to play along with us. Jii-chan thinks you're Usagi's cousin, so we're going to need you to keep that act up for us."

Chibi-Usa nodded her head, "Okay, I'll do my best."

She was secretly happy to get to meet her great grandfather. She'd heard a lot about him, but she'd never meet him because he passed away long before she was ever born.

"We're back!" Rei called when she saw her grandfather standing by omikuji tree.

"You're back awfully earlier than I…" He started to say when he saw a short pink haired girl walk out from behind the two other girls, "What's this?"

"Jii-chan, you remember Usagi's cousin, Chibi-Usa right?" Rei said and motioned over to the younger girl.

The older man smiled as he looked and looked at the pink haired girl, "Of course. How have you been?"

The younger girl smiled and bowed her head slightly, "I've been good, thank you for asking."

Before her grandfather could say anything else Rei spoke up, "Jii-chan, we're going to go to my room. My other friends should be coming by shortly."

The bald man looked a little disappointed though his voice remained cheerful, "I see. I'll let them know when they arrive."

"Thanks Jii-chan." Rei said before ushering her two companions to the main shrine. Once they stepped inside the shrine they saw Yuuichirou walking toward them, but it seemed as soon as he saw them, he quickly turned and walked the opposite direction.

"Yuuichirou, what is it?" Rei asked

"Is something wrong?" Usagi asked causing the young man to stop walking for a moment.

They could tell he shook his, "No, I just need to get back to my chores." He said and continued walking

The blond haired girl looked at her girlfriend accusingly, "You didn't say anything mean to him again, did you?"

"What? I've been nothing, but nice to him since I got back. I don't know what his problem is." Rei said honestly. She turned away from the other girl and watched Yuuichirou turn the corner at the end of the hall. After a few more seconds she brought her gaze to the two girls with her, "Let's go to my room."

Usagi nodded and Chibi-Usa let them lead the way, while she observed her surroundings. There wasn't nearly as much to look at inside as there was outside, most of the doors were closed and there wasn't much decorating the walls either. However, once they reached one particular door, she found herself interested in that room.

Rei looked over her shoulder once they reached her room, "Chibi…" she paused when she saw the pink haired girl had stopped in front of a door a short distance away. She walked over to where the other girl stood before asking, "Do you know what that room is?"

Chibi-Usa shook her head, "No, but I feel something strange from it."

"This is where I meditate, there's a great spiritual fire inside that room." Rei explained and put her hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. "Come on, I can show it to you later." She said and led her over to her room. Rei slid open the door and motioned for her companions to enter first. When they stepped inside Chibi-Usa immediately began investigating the room, she was curious about her mother's life in the past. She quickly noticed a number of pictures of Rei with the other Sailor Senshi, as well as a couple with just her parents together.

"Where's your first aid kit?" Usagi asked once Rei sat on her futon.

Rei looked her curiously, "There should be one by the medicine cabinet in the bathroom down the hall." As soon as she answered, the other girl was out the door causing her to sigh. She brought her attention over to the pink haired, who was currently looking through her closet. "Are you looking for something?" Rei asked laughing a little at the younger girl.

Chibi-Usa quickly turned around and Rei immediately noticed a cute blush on the other girl's cheeks, which only caused her laugh even more at her. "I'm sorry; I don't mean to be nosey."

The dark haired girl shook her head, "It's okay. I can tell you, I don't have anything too interesting in here." The other girl nodded her head before walking over to Rei and sitting beside her. As soon as she sat down, the door opened and Usagi walked in with the first aid kit in hand, causing Rei to shake her head.

"Honestly Usa, it's not that bad." Rei assured her girlfriend.

"Even with your healing abilities if you don't treat your injuries properly, they'll still leave scars." The blonde haired girl said and knelt beside Rei, putting the metal box on the ground for the moment. She carefully took her girlfriend's right hand in her own and looked over the damage. "Seriously Rei, how can you tell me that doesn't hurt?" She said and opened the medical kit. She took out some gauze and antiseptic.

"Because it doesn't." She countered, but as soon as the liquid on the bottle was poured onto her fresh skin, she hissed and pulled her hand away.

"…You were saying?"

"It doesn't hurt." She said quickly and pointed to the bottle being held by her girlfriend, "That stuff does though."

Usagi sighed and shook her head, "Quit being a baby. Give me your hand back." She said holding out her hand expectedly.

"Only if you don't use that stuff again. Bandage it if you want, but don't use that stuff again." She said still holding her hand out of the other girl's reach.

Usagi shook her head and put down the antiseptic and grabbed some fresh gauze, "Fine." As soon as she agreed, Rei gave her back her injured hand. Once Usagi had Rei's hand again, she began the process of bandaging up her hand.

Chibi-Usa watched the two women with an amused look on her face. She felt the urge to laugh at them, but she suppressed the desire. When they interacted with each other away from anyone else, really reminded her of how her parents would act in the same situation. When the thought of her parents crossed her mind though, she felt a bit of sadness because at this point she wasn't sure when she be able to return to them. Even though she was with them now, they weren't the same.

Rei watched as Usagi carefully wrapped the gauze around her fingers and across her knuckles. She smiled when she thought about how lucky she was to have such a caring girlfriend. Once she wrapped the gauze around her pinkie, she wrapped the material around her hand once more before looking up at Rei.

"Hold it right here." She instructed. Rei did as she was told and Usagi reached into the first aid kit one more time and pulled out a pair of scissors and some medical tape. She cut the gauze where it was being held and took it away from Rei before cutting a piece of medical tape and attaching it to where the gauze ended. The blonde haired girl put all the supplies back into the metal box and looked up at Rei with a bright smile on her face, "All done…" As soon as the words left her mouth she shook her head, "What am I saying? Give me your hand back." She ordered as she held out her hand again. Rei looked at her hand, it looked done as far as she could tell, but she complied and gave Usagi her hand once more. She held the miko's hand in her own gently for a moment before leaning forward and placing a feather light kiss on her girlfriend's bandages. She continued to hold her hand as she looked up this time, " _Now_ it's all done." She wore an even wider smile when she looked her than before.

Rei couldn't do anything to stop a blush from making its way to her cheeks at her girlfriend's display of affection. "Usa…that was so sweet. Thank you, I'm sure it'll heal twice as fast now."

Usagi seemed to smile even wider, "You're welcome." She said and picked up the first aid kit and left to return it to the bathroom.

The dark haired girl turn to right when she heard giggles coming from the pink haired princess, "What's so funny?" Chibi-Usa shook her head, refusing to answer. Rei folded her arms across her chest, "Spill it."

She covered her mouth so she wouldn't laugh too loud as she said, "It's just seeing you like that…makes me realize…both of you…still act like a couple teenagers in the future." She said and fell back against the futon in a fit of laughter.

Rei chuckled a little at the young girl's antics; she wasn't sure if her comment was a good or bad thing, but it certainly seemed to be quite amusing to Chibi-Usa nonetheless. Just then Usagi came back and looked the duo on the futon, "Did I miss something?"

Rei shook her head. Her eyes caught sight of the time then and she realized the girls would be arriving shortly. Once Usagi stood next to the futon, Rei looked at her seriously, "I think we should do this slowly."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked cocking her head to the side.

The miko stood up and leaned next to her girlfriend's ear, "Chibi-Usa. We should tell everyone about her, before bringing her in. She's different than we remember and I don't want to put her in a bad position because the others don't know that yet."

"That's probably a good idea." She whispered back.

The dark haired girl leaned back, "It's nearly been an hour…" She announced and stepped even with Usagi, "I'll wait for everyone in the courtyard and once everyone is here, I'll escort them to my room. You can wait for my signal in the guest room next door." She said and put her hand on the blonde's shoulder, causing her to look at her. Rei gave her a quick kiss on the lips. When she moved away she whispered, "I'll knock on the wall to let you know." She received a quick nod from her princess before finally leaving the room.

Chibi-Usa looked at Usagi, "What did she mean by that?"

"Well, you see Rei has a plan…"

* * *

As soon as Rei stepped in to the courtyard she could see three of her friends already at the top of the steps and at the entrance. She smiled and called over to them, "Thanks for coming so quickly."

When they heard Rei the three outer senshi hurried over to her, "What happened?" Haruka asked quickly.

"And where's Usagi?" Michiru asked just after her lover voiced her question.

"Usagi's inside, but I want to wait until everyone is here before saying anything about what happened. There's no point in repeating myself four or five times. Let's just wait for everyone else, they shouldn't be too long."

"How'd you hurt you hand?"

Rei smiled slightly and hid her hand behind her back, the youngest of the three was a bit too observant, "Again, that's something we can discuss once everyone gets here." She turned away from Hotaru and looked toward the top of the stairs, waiting for the other girls to arrive. After a few moments she heard someone running up the stone steps before seeing Minako at the top. She hurried over to where the four girls were standing.

"What's going on, Rei?" The blonde haired girl asked immediately, but then she noticed someone was missing that she expected to already be there, "And where's Usagi?"

The miko sighed, 'I should have thought everyone would be confused as to why Usagi isn't with me.' She walked over and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "Usagi's inside and I'll tell you what happened, but let's wait until Ami and Makoto arrive before doing that." Minako nodded in response, causing the other girl to let go of her shoulder.

It wasn't long before Ami and Makoto arrived together, but this time as they approached Rei held up her hand before either girl could ask what she knew would be coming, "Let's just go inside and talk."

* * *

"I'm not causing trouble by being here am I?"

Usagi looked at the younger girl in surprise and walked over to the futon where she sat. She knelt in front of her and tilted her head up so she looked into her eyes, "What? You aren't causing any trouble. I'm very happy that you're here. I was worried about you…"

Chibi-Usa blinked a couple times. She wasn't sure that she'd heard her right, "Why were you worried?"

The blonde haired girl looked down as she said, "It's a long story…"

"What do you mean?"

Usagi shook her head before looking up once again, "It's not important. Just know that I'm glad you're here with us and you could never be trouble for us." As soon she said that, she could hear door to the shrine open. "We should go into the next room now; I think Rei's coming back."

* * *

As soon as Rei slid shut the door the questions started…

"What's wrong? Why have you called all of us together?" Makoto asked.

"Where's Usagi? I thought you said she was inside, but she not here. She isn't hurt or anything is she?" Haruka asked.

Rei looked at the group, before focusing on Makoto, "Well, there are a couple reasons actually and I will get to them." She then turned her attention to senshi of wind, "You don't honestly think I'd let Usagi get hurt, do you Haruka?"

"No, but…"

Rei sighed, "I can assure you that Usagi is perfectly fine, she's just busy with something else right now. She'll join us shortly, but until then let me explain everything that's happened today that has prompt this meeting." She took a deep breath and sat on the floor in front of everyone, so that she could see everyone, "There was a youma incident earlier today…"

She was cut off quickly, "You were attacked?"

Rei held up hand to stop any further questions. She turned her attention to Minako, "It's not what you're thinking. It wasn't exactly directed at me or Usagi but it concerned me nonetheless."

"What kind of enemy was it, Rei?" Hotaru inquired.

The dark haired girl shook her head slightly, "I'm not entirely sure, but he was strong, very strong."

"Why didn't you call for help?" Haruka asked.

Rei ran her hand threw her hair before answering, "Well, while he was strong, he also wasn't the brightest youma we've ever encountered, so once we knew its weakness, he was easy enough to take down."

"Don't these things ever take a break?" Makoto commented. "I mean we've barely gotten any rest…"

"I don't think they take our feelings into consideration considering they're trying to kill us." Rei responded somberly.

After a few seconds, Ami spoke up, "There's no guarantee this youma attack was anything more than an isolated incident."

"I think we need to stay on alert though. We can't become too laidback and simply write-off this as nothing more than ' _isolated incident_ '." Minako chimed in.

"I didn't mean that we should just disregard this. I just don't think we should jump to conclusions one way or another though." Ami said calmly

"I guess we shouldn't prepare ourselves because it  _might_  be a random attack then?" Minako countered, causing the other girl to look away from her.

"That's not what Ami meant and you know it, Minako." Makoto defended the blue haired girl.

"Stop it." Rei ordered, drawing the three girl's attention. After a few moments, she lowered her head, "I don't  _know_  if this was just some random youma activity or if it's something more, but my gut's telling me that we need to stay vigilant. Something didn't feel right about that youma…"

"Was there something else that happened?" Michiru asked.

Rei stood up and walked over to left side of her room and leaned against the wall, "Actually yes. That is the other reason that I called everyone here…"

"What is it?" Haruka asked curiously.

"When Usagi and I were leaving the shrine earlier, we received an unexpected visitor, Chibi-Usa. She quite literally fell into Usagi's lap, while she waited for me at the Jinja's entrance." Rei explained, laughing a bit at the end.

Hotaru felt her heart speed up at the news, 'Chibi-Usa is here! She's safe! I can't believe it.'

"She's with Usagi then and that's why she isn't here." Minako said after a couple seconds of thought. Rei nodded her head confirming the other girl's statement.

"Were you saving her as a surprise or something? Why isn't she here?" Haruka asked anxiously.

The dark haired girl looked down, "There is a reason that she isn't with us right now…she's different."

Hotaru's elation subsided quickly at those three words. She stepped toward the other girl and cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"

"She doesn't remember what happened when she came to the past before. She seems to have no knowledge of the past things that we, Usagi and I, still remember. It appears that she is unable to transform into a Sailor Senshi as well. However, all of those changes pale in comparison to the biggest change we noticed…" Rei took a deep breath to prepare herself. If the other girls hadn't already figured it out yet, she was about to not only outing herself but Usagi as well.

"What is it, Rei? What else could have changed?" Ami asked, some what nervous about what the other girl was going to say.

After one more deep breath she continued, "From what she's said, it seems that Mamoru isn't her father anymore."

"Then who is?" Minako asked, almost afraid the answer. 'Something couldn't have happened to break them up, could it?'

Rei looked down and blushed deeply. She kept her head down for a couple more seconds before addressing everyone again, "Apparently I am."

The group fell silent, each asking themselves questions. The one that was in everyone's mind, even Rei's, was the question as to  _how_ it was possible. Though it was a question none of them had an answer to. Rei and Usagi were both girls, it shouldn't be possible for one to get the other pregnant.

"So, you and Usagi really are…together?" Makoto asked, breaking the silence that had filled the room.

The miko nodded her head, "Yeah." She paused for a moment before adding, "This doesn't change anything between any of us does it?" she questioned looked over everyone in the room. Everyone looked at each other for their own confirmation.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say, all we want is for Usagi to be happy and we could think of no one better to make sure that happens." The leader of the Sailor Senshi said confidently and with a large smile.

Rei turned to Haruka when she heard the woman sigh, "What?" She asked, she was still a little worried about the outers' reaction, despite Minako's statement.

"I just wish I could have had a change to woo her myself." The sandy blonde said disappointedly, only cry out a moment later. "Oww…what was that for?" She asked turning her attention to her lover.

"Oh sorry dear, I thought I saw a fly on your shoulder." Michiru said innocently.

Rei smiled, "Thanks guys." She said and reached over her shoulder and knocked on the wall softly, "Come in Usagi."

* * *

The door opened and everyone watch it anxiously as two people entered the room. Chibi-Usa hung behind Usagi as they entered the room, she already knew her parents were different and she didn't know what to expect from the rest of the senshi. She knew them, but they didn't know her and because of that she knew it wouldn't be the same as if she were back home. She unconsciously grabbed the pink shirt in front of her, causing the taller girl to stop.

"You don't have to be shy, everyone here is a friend." Usagi said quietly as she looked over her shoulder to the girl behind her.

Chibi-Usa nodded, "I know…it's just…."

"What's wrong, Chibi-Usa?" Rei said and walked up to the two girls that had just entered the room. "No one here will judge you. I already told them…"

She shook her head, causing Rei to stop, "It's not them. It's me."

"I don't understand."

"I already have preconceived thoughts about everyone, both of you included. I don't want to say anything that could offend anyone because of them." She said and looked at Usagi and Rei.

Hotaru got up quickly and stood beside Rei, "That doesn't matter; we can just get to know every other again bit by bit."

Chibi-Usa stared at the dark haired girl, who looked to be about her age, she was definitely younger than the other girls. The longer she stared, the more she racked her brain for knowledge as to who the girl was, but she couldn't recall ever seeing her before. She'd been to countless formal receptions, yet she'd not ever seen the other girl at any of them. It was also at the events that she was introduced the other Sailor Senshi she didn't already know, Uranus and Neptune. So, why is it that she'd never seen her before when her presence here clearly meant she was a Sailor Senshi? She wanted to find the answer to that question, but to do that she needed to find out who the girl was…

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Hotaru did her best to hide her emotions from showing at the simple question, "Y-You don't know me?"

The pink haired girl looked down, away from the other girl's hurt expression, and shook her head no. She mentally berated herself for the way she asked her question. This is what she wanted to avoid, she didn't want to hurt anyone, but after only a couple sentences, she'd done just that. She didn't understand why she didn't know the other girl. She knew all the Sailor Senshi; at least she thought she did. Most of them lived in the palace, aside from Uranus and Neptune, but even the two of them she'd met many times during the countless times she had to attend court.

Usagi turned around fully, "What about everyone else?

Chibi-Usa looked up again and looked at the other people in the room. She started just past Rei and saw a girl with short blue hair, who she immediately recognized as Mercury or Ami-chan. Like her parents, she was clearly younger, but she still looked the same. Sitting beside her was her lover, Sailor Jupiter or Mako-chan. Sitting on a separate chair from the first two girls was Venus or Minako-chan. The next person she saw as she looked around the room was the girl she didn't know. The dark haired girl was looking down, avoiding eye contact with her, but even with out meeting her eyes then, she could tell the other girl was hurting. She was unable to stare at her any longer and continued to the next two women, who she could recognize as the two senshi that did not live in the palace, Uranus and Neptune, or Haruka-san and Michiru-san.

"Do you know who anyone else is?" Rei asked when she saw the other girl had finished looking over everyone. She received a slow nod, prompting her ask the next logical question, "Who else here do you know aside from Usagi and I?"

After a few moments, she pointed in the direction of the last two women she looked at, "Haruka-san and Michiru-san." She said and pause to point towards a different direction in the room, "Minako-chan." She said and paused once more to point at the last two people she knew, "Ami-chan and Mako-chan."

With each name that was not her own, Hotaru felt as though she was physically struck. She couldn't understand how she could know everyone,  _everyone_  expect her that is. She tried to come up with possible explanations, when an unpleasant one came to mind. 'I'm not dead…am I?' she questioned herself. As much as she didn't want that to be true, it was one possible reason the future Princess didn't know her.

Michiru watched Hotaru carefully, she was hurting but she was doing her best to hide it. She touched Haruka's arm, causing her to look at her. "We should go." She said and let her eyes drift over to the youngest Sailor Senshi. Haruka did the same and nodded her head after moment.

"I think it would be best if headed home now. It's getting late." Haruka announced suddenly.

"Thanks for keeping us up to date with what's going on." Michiru said and walked over to Hotaru. She put her hand on the younger girl's shoulder, "Let's go." She whispered to the other girl.

"It might be a good idea for us to head home as well. We do have school tomorrow." Ami said and looked her fellow inner senshi. Makoto nodded her head and stood up.

Minako stood up and looked over to Rei and Usagi, "Keep me informed if anything else happens. I don't want anything like last time to happen."

Rei smiled, "Don't worry; we'll let you know if anything happens."

Once nearly everyone had left, Chibi-Usa left Usagi's side and ran over to the young girl that was walking between Haruka-san and Michiru-san. Once she reached her she grabbed her wrist, surprising the other girl. Hotaru looked back and saw Chibi-Usa starring at her. She did her best to keep her voice calm as she spoke, "What is it, Chibi-Usa?"

"I'm sorry that I hurt you earlier. It was rude of me to ask you your name like I did. I didn't take into account how hurtful that question could be." The pink haired girl apologized.

Hotaru shook her head, "Nonsense, it wasn't your fault. Rei-san told us that you'd be a little different than we remember, I shouldn't have…"

"…Thought I'd know you, when I know everyone else?" She said cutting off the other girl. She looked away afraid she might have insulted the other. For her part, Hotaru simply stared wide eyed at the future Princess, unable to respond. When Chibi-Usa looked back at the dark haired girl she quickly offered up another apology, "I'm sorry. It's just that I don't understand it myself."

Hotaru smiled slightly, trying to reassure the other girl, "Maybe we can just start over again." She said and extended her hand, "Tomoe Hotaru."

Chibi-Usa smiled brightly and took the offered hand in her own, "Usagi Small Lady Serenity…but I guess you can call me Chibi-Usa."

"I'll see you later, Chibi-Usa." Hotaru said and let go of the other girl's hand.

"Yeah, see you later." She said quietly as she watched her leave. She still felt like she should have said or done something more than she did, but she didn't know what.

"You're sure you don't remember her?" Rei said as she stepped next to the younger girl.

Chibi-Usa nodded slowly, "I don't. I wish I did, but I don't."

"It must have hard for her, she really cares about you." Usagi said sadly.

"I know, I could tell." Chibi-Usa said and walked over toward the futon in the room. As soon as she reached it, she fell on to it. She rolled onto her stomach and lay there silently.

Rei looked at Usagi, "She should just stay here for the night. It's a little late to bring her over to your house."

"If she's staying, then I want to too." Usagi said eagerly.

"Usa, I think you'd have to ask your parents that. Though I doubt they'd be too willing since you have school tomorrow." The blonde haired girl pouted, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to admit her girlfriend was right. "Believe me, I'd love you to spend the night, but I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Are you going to walk me home at least?" Usagi asked hopefully.

"I was planning on it, Princess." Rei said and put her hand under her Princess chin before leaning forward and planting a quick kiss her lips. She pulled back and looked at Usagi for a moment, she looked like she was expecting more, but the raven haired girl simply smiled and turned to where her futon was, "Chibi-Usa, do you want to come with? I'm going to walk Usagi home."

Chibi-Usa looked up and nodded her head.

Usagi was still looking at Rei with a confused expression, "Just a peck, that's all."

The senshi of Mars looked at her girlfriend, "Yes. I don't want you to get too excited; you  _do_  need to get your rest tonight." She said and smiled before stepping towards her door, "Let's go then."

* * *

The car ride had been silent, aside from a little background noise created by the radio. After they'd driven for several blocks, the blue haired woman in the passenger seat addressed the girl in the back seat, "Are you alright, Hotaru?"

The dark haired girl was currently staring at her hand in the back seat. The young girl was usually quiet but this more than usually, especially when she was being asked a question directly.

"Earth to Hotaru!"

Hotaru jumped a little when she felt a hand on her arm. She quickly looked up to see the concerned gaze of Michiru, "Are you okay?" she asked as soon as their eyes met.

She smiled, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" she asked curiously.

"Maybe because Chibi-Usa doesn't seem to know you?" She replied quickly, causing the younger girl to stiffen at the question. "I'm sorry to put it so bluntly, but it's alright to be shaken by that. It's perfectly reasonable in fact. There must be some reason why the two of you haven't met in the future."

"I could be dead." Hotaru said grimly.

"Don't talk like that!" Haruka said angrily as she entered into the conversation.

Hotaru turned her attention to the car's driver, "I know myself Haruka and if I were alive there wouldn't be anything that could stop me from seeing her. If I were a-able, she…she'd know m-me." Her resolve finally broke as struggled to finish what she wanted to say. She leaned forward and held her face in her hands as she silently cried.

"I'm sorry, I truly am." Michiru said quietly before facing forward again.

* * *

"I thought I was going to get to go inside." Chibi-Usa complained.

Rei turned around from her dresser and looked at the other girl, "Sorry, I didn't mean to get your hopes up. I'm sure you'll be able to see it tomorrow after we get out of school."

"Okay…" She said and looked down.

The dark haired girl smiled at the sulking girl, "I'm going to change, I'll be right back." She said, but only received a nod from the other girl

After a few minutes the door slid open again, prompting Chibi-Usa to look up. No one entered immediately, but she could hear a loud noise that came from just outside the door. She got up to see what it was, but stopped when she saw Rei dragging in a large piece of furniture. After a few more pulls and a couple curses, she'd successfully cleared the door.

"These things aren't made to go threw sliding doors." Rei said and pulled the object a little further inside before sitting on it.

The pink haired girl stared at the piece of furniture, "What's that?"

Rei looked up, "This is your bed for tonight or if you prefer it, you can use mine and I'll use this."

Staring at the old looking futon she almost felt the need to say she'd rather sleep on the floor than that, but she realized that she doing this for her. She couldn't understand why she needed to sleep in a different futon anyway, there was more than enough room on the one that was already in the room. "I'll sleep there." She said pointing to the futon, "You should sleep in your own bed."

Rei said noticing the strange look she continued to give the futon she was sitting on, "It won't be so bad, but if it's too uncomfortable for you we can switch later."

….

….

….

Rei turned over in her sleep and now lay on her side. She rested there comfortably for some time until the soft breathing of another person reached her ears. At first she caulked the noise up to her imagination, that it was just a part of her dream; after all when she went to sleep she was alone and there was no reason for that to have changed. Soon, it was not only the sound of breathing that perked her senses; she also began to feel the person's breath tickling her face. That was not a sensation that could be imagined, even by the most vivid imagination. There was someone lying beside her and for their sake they'd better have a very good reason for being on her futon with her.

Rei slowly opened her eyes and saw a mess of pink haired beside her. She sighed, 'Why did I even bother to bring in another futon if she was just going to come into mine.' She thought and reached up to wake the girl when she saw her brow was creased and she was whispering something. 'She's having a nightmare.' Rei observed.

"No…don't…hurt"

The raven haired girl stared at the other girl, 'Don't hurt who?' she asked herself before shaking her head, 'What the Hell am I doing? I can't let her continue to be tormented in that nightmare.' She berated herself. She quickly reached forward and shook the young girl's shoulder, "Chibi-Usa, wake up." She said but didn't get much of response, so did it again, shaking her a little harder, "Wake up, you're having a nightmare!"

The young girl jolted awake and looked around frantically until her eyes fell on Rei. When she saw the dark haired woman she quickly lunged at her and hugged her tightly, as though she didn't want to let her go. Rei didn't immediately do anything except hold the girl. She was frightened, that much she could tell, but what she didn't know was what scared her so badly. She wouldn't have woken her if she would have known it would scare her this much, that wasn't true, she was scared before she even woken her. Finally she decided to ask the pink haired girl what she was afraid of, "Hey…what's wrong?"

"I'm…glad you're alright."

Rei laughed a little, "What do you mean?"

Chibi-Usa pulled away slightly and looked closer at the woman she was holding, "I-I'm sorry, I forgot where I was…I got confused with my dream."

"It seemed more like a nightmare than a dream…" She said cause the pink haired girl to look down, away from her. Rei frowned and reached up with her hand, placing it under the other girl's chin before tilting up her head so she could look her in her eyes, "Why don't you tell me about it?" Chibi-Usa didn't say anything, but shook her head no. The dark haired girl sighed, "I won't judge you. I simply want to help you because whatever it was I can tell it scared you" She paused and waited a few moments to see if she was going to respond, but she remained quiet, though she did appear to be thinking it over. She took another deep breath before continuing, "I won't make you tell me anything, but I want you to know that whatever it was that scared you it can't hurt me or anyone else. I'm sure you have your reasons for not wanting to tell me, but if you change your mind, I'll be right here." Rei sat up and started to get off her futon when she felt a hand on her forearm. She looked over and saw Chibi-Usa staring down at the sheets; she couldn't see her face clearly because her hair obscured it mostly. "What is it?"

"Thank you." She said simply without looking up.

The dark haired smiled despite the other girl not being able to see it at the moment, "There's no need to thank me, just promise that when you're ready you'll tell me what's wrong."

This time the pink haired looked up as she said, "I will."

* * *

_Elsewhere_

In an empty park there was a loud boom resembling thunder and suddenly a tall man appeared out of thin air. He quickly looked around and found himself to be alone, "This is where he should have arrived…" he said to himself quietly. He crouched down and investigated the ground, 'This isn't where he appeared though…'

He stood up fully and walked further into the park. He stopped when he noticed a black mark on the ground. He crouched down once more and touched the darkened ground. He looked up, his eyes glowing brightly, and looked around the area. After about a minute or so he closed his eyes and stood up. "I see. You were unlucky."

He began to walk away, 'This will be more difficult than we thought if she's already made contact with  _them_.' After that thought another loud boom could be heard and afterwards he was gone.

End Ch. 2

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That concludes the second chapter and begins the mystery of Chibi-Usa and to an extent Hotaru as well. There are reasons why she doesn't know Hotaru and they will come to light down the road, I just hope it doesn't take me years to get to that point lol.


	3. The Mystery of Chibi-Usa

Chapter 3 – The Mystery of Chibi-Usa

* * *

"Sir…"

The man being addressed looked up to see who was addressing him, once he saw it wasn't who he was expecting, "What is it?" He called in annoyance.

"Sir! Heliodor-sama is here to hear your status report!"

"He's  _here_?" The large man stood up abruptly. 'I didn't think he was actually going to show up here…' He thought to himself as he tried to rack his mind for what he was going to say to appease the frightening man. Already he could feel his palms become sweaty. He needed to find a way to buy himself some more time. Before he could try to come up with something he heard a voice that immediately shut down his train of thought…

"I don't see the Princess here anywhere." A voice remarked casually in the distance.

The large man stiffened upon hearing the voice, he knew instantly who it belonged to. He also knew time to come up with an excuse was over.

"Do you care to tell me why she isn't here?"

A young looking man walked forward, until he stood just a couple steps away from the larger man. As they stood in front of each other, it hard to image that the substantially larger man would be afraid of the other man, who was far thinner and whose overall frame was smaller than him though he stood slightly taller. The thinner man was very handsome and had an air of confidence about him that would make any woman swoon over him. He had long hair that was tied back in a loose ponytail at his lower back. His hair was mostly a light yellowish color, except of the ends which were a light green.

"Heliodor-sama, I am still working on finding her. I've already sent another…"

He stood a step toward the larger man as he spoke, "Are you telling me you're wasting resources as well then? Why don't you just send everyone here to find her? Are you trying to weaken our forces, you fool?"

"You told me to find her and the only way I can that is to send someone else after her. It wasn't as easy…"

Cutting off the other man again, Heliodor yelled, "She is a child, a child with no power no less! Are you telling me kidnapping her was so difficult? You didn't even have to worry about her parents! I truly dread what the outcome would have been had you faced them!"

"But she wasn't without power…"

"I've heard enough excuses!" The young looking man yelled and reached forward, grabbing the larger man by the throat. "You've screwed up for the last time. A low-class like you should have never been given such an important assignment."

"I'm sorry…I'll…"

The man's voice was cut off by a quick turn of the other man's wrist, followed by a sickening cracking sound. Heliodor released the other man's throat, allowing his body to fall limply to the ground, his head bent at an awkward angle. He wiped his hand on his pants as he called, "Someone clean this trash up! I'll be taking over here and there will be no more failed missions."

* * *

Rei stepped out of the bathtub and grabbed a towel that hung near the tub. She began drying herself off as she thought, 'What is it that she saw that upset her?' Having finished drawing off her body, she moved on to her hair. After a few moments she threw the towel into a basket into the corner of the room, it had dried her hair as much as it could. She wiped the water residue that had formed on the mirror in front of her and stared at herself, 'Was it a vision? A memory? Or simply a nightmare?' She sighed and reached for her hairdryer and brush. Once her hair was mostly dry she put away the hairdryer. She paused for a moment, 'I still have concerns about that youma…'

Rei walked over to her uniform for school and stared at it for a moment, her mind drift over to what awaited her when she returned to school, and she certainly didn't relish all the make-up work she'd have to do. 'Maybe if I told them I was kidnapped, they'd pity me.' She laughed quietly at the thought. Of course if she told them the truth they'd probably want her committed. 'I guess I'll just have to get by as best as I can.' With that thought she grabbed her clothes and began getting dressed. When she was done she quickly left the bathroom and headed back to her room. However, when she turned the corner to her room she bumped in someone…

"Sorry…" she said and looked up, "…Yuuichirou?" He looked even more disheveled than normal and Rei could have sworn she saw bags under the young man's eyes. "Is something wrong, Yuuichirou?"

He shook his head slightly and said, "No." He stood there only for a couple more seconds before walking past Rei.

She stared at him oddly as he walked away from her, he was acting strange even for him. She shrugged her shoulders and began walking to her room once more. She reached the door to her room and paused before opening it, 'It wouldn't be a good idea for her to wonder around the city without someone with her. I should tell Chibi-Usa to stay here while I go to school.' She thought to herself before sliding opening the door. She stepped inside and looked around for the pink haired princess; she could feel worry building up in her stomach when she didn't immediately find the younger girl. 'She was going to stay here until I got back, so where…' Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard light breathing coming from her futon. She quickly turned to the object in the center of her room and the first thing she saw a mess of pink hair. She sighed in relief before walking over the futon.

'She must have fallen back asleep.' She thought as she knelt beside the futon. She was sleeping, peacefully now as far as she could tell and that made her have second thoughts about disturbing her, but she didn't want to leave the girl without letting her know. Rei put her hand on the sleeping girl's shoulder and shook her slightly, "Chibi-Usa, come on…wake up."

The pink haired girl stirred a little, but wasn't fully awake as she muttered, "Is it time to get up already, Mama?"

Rei smiled, "Well, I'm not going to make you get up, but I did want to tell you something before I went to school."

Chibi-Usa blinked a couple times before wiping her eyes. When her vision was clear she saw a younger version of her mother, "I'm sorry, I thought…"

"It's fine; just try not to call me that around Jii-chan. I don't think I'd be able to explain that very well" Rei said and smiled again.

Chibi-Usa nodded her head slowly, "I'll try…"

"You can call me Rei-chan, at least while you're at the jinja." The younger girl made a strange face at her request. Seeing this Rei added, "I'm sorry, I know it'll probably be weird, but it'd really be easier if you can call me Rei-chan."

She continued looking at the older girl with odd expression, but eventually she nodded her head. It would be awkward and at times difficult to call the woman before her anything but Mama, but she would do her best if it made things easier for her Mama. "Okay…R-Rei-chan."

Rei stood up and smiled sympathetically at the other girl, "It won't be for that long, I promise. We'll figure out how you got here and get you back to your rightful time." The pink haired girl nodded again, though it was less cheerfully than she would have hoped. "Is something wrong?"

The younger girl turned her gaze downward; she couldn't deny her longing to return to her home, not only to see everyone again, but to make sure everyone was alright. She really wanted to let everyone know that she was alright as well, but she didn't have any way to do that and she knew everyone would be worried about her. Nevertheless, there were things about this time that she felt the need to find out. There had to be some reason she was here, in the past, at least that's what she believed. However, she didn't want to cause trouble for anyone, especially her future parents and she got the distinct impression that her presence was or would in the near future cause trouble for the woman in the room with her and she didn't want that. With that thought in mind, she continued to look down as she shook her head no.

Rei stared at the other girl, not believing her, "Are you sure?"

Chibi-Usa looked up, "Yeah." She said simply and nodded her head.

Rei continued to stare at the other girl, feeling as though there was something more. After a number of seconds pasted she lowered her head, catching a glimpse of the clock in her room; it was far past time she should have left for school. "Alright, I'll leave it at that but I want you to do something for me."

"What is it?" Chibi-Usa asked tilting her head slightly to the left.

"I don't want you to leave jinja until I come home." Rei answered.

"Why?"

"I don't think you should wonder around alone in a world you aren't familiar with, it wouldn't be safe." The raven haired girl explained. She watched the younger girl as she waited for her answer. After a few more seconds, she nodded her head. Rei seemed satisfied with that and bent over to match Chibi-Usa's much lower position on the futon. She gave her a quick hug. When she pulled back she said, "I should be back by three thirty, so I'll be back before you know it. And Chibi-Usa…" The pink haired girl gave Rei her fully attention when she addressed her, "Don't bottle up what you're feeling. I know from experience that is doesn't help in the long run." She slid open her bedroom door and exited the room.

* * *

Haruka stepped into the kitchen and went straight for the coffee maker to prepare a pot. Once she'd filled the machine with water and added fresh coffee, she turned the unit on. She took a couple steps to right and opened the cabinet. She pulled out two mugs and placed them on the counter beside the coffeemaker. It would still be a short time before it would be done, but she decided to stand in front of it and wait for it to finish rather then sitting down at the modest table across the room. As she watched the dark liquid drip into the pot, she allowed herself to become lost in thought at least until she felt a hand rub against her lower back. The short haired blonde felt a smiled tug at the corners of her lips at the other person's touch. She didn't even bother to turn around as she whispered, "Good morning, Michi."

"Good morning yourself." Michiru said and stood beside her slightly taller lover. She placed a tender kiss on her cheek before following her gaze to the coffee pot, "It's unusual for you to be the first down and make the coffee. What's the occasion?"

Haruka didn't look at the woman beside her as she spoke, "I'm worried about Hotaru."

Any playful banter she had planned to say left her thoughts then. Michiru looked down and saw her companion's hand of the counter, so she placed hers over it, "As am I. You didn't sleep very well last night."

"Nor did you and I think I can safely say the same for Hotaru. That's likely why she's still asleep now."

Michiru nodded, "Did you have any success in thinking about other reasons Chibi-Usa wouldn't know Hotaru?"

"None that are very pleasant and I refuse to believe that Hotaru isn't alive in the future." Haruka said balling her hand not being held by Michiru into a fist.

"If she truly believes that though, we'll have to be watchful of her actions when we do have to fight. If she doesn't believe she has a future she might end up doing something that will hurt herself, even if it's unintentional."

The sandy blonde nodded her head, "I agree. She might do something reckless." Both women fell silent for several minutes, until Haruka turned to face her lover. "I wish Setsuna were here. She'd know what was going on…and what to do."

Michiru simply nodded in agreement. Just then the coffee maker buzzed, informing them it had finished brewing.

Hotaru leaned against the wall beside the doorway to the kitchen, 'I need some air.' She thought to herself and pushed off the wall. She strode toward the front door, stopping a short distance from it when a thought struck her. She walked over an end table in the living room. She opened the drawer on the front of it and pulled out a notepad as well as a pen. She took both objects with her to the front door. When she reached to small table by the door she put the notepad down and quickly wrote down a short note for the two women acting as her guardians…

_I'm going for a walk. I want to be_   
_alone for a little while. You don't_   
_have to worry, I'll be back soon._   
_Love, Hotaru_

She put the pen down beside the paper and exited the building a few moments later.

* * *

Students were filling into Azabu Juuban Junior High as it was about fifteen minutes from the first bell. Two girls stopped just short of the entrance and appeared to be having a serious conversation. The taller girl wore a different uniform than all the other girls that entered the school making her stand out even more than her height did. The second girl was significantly shorter and had short blue hair…

Makoto stepped in front of Ami and put her hands on the shorter girl's shoulders, "Are you sure?"

The blue haired girl looked up and blushed slightly under the other girl's gaze. She nodded her head sharply, "Yeah. I mean…unless you don't want to."

"I-I do…I just want you to be sure that you're ready."

"Ready for what?"

Both girls jumped back slightly and stared at the culprit in only partially feigned anger, "Geez…Minako! Did you really have to do that?" Makoto chastised.

Minako held up her hands defensively, "Hey, I just happened to over hear the end. As could any one walking into the school though…"

Makoto looked around for a moment and was going to counter the blonde's statement, when Ami beat her to the punch. "I was just telling Makoto I wanted her come over to dinner with my mother and me later in the week."

"Ooohh…the big introduction!" Minako announced cheerfully.

"Keep your voice down." Makoto whispered and nudged the blonde in her side.

"It's not like she hasn't met my mother…"

"But it's different introducing Makoto as your girlfriend." Minako matter-of-factly

"What?"

All three girls knew that voice and even though they did, they each turned around together and came face to face with one of their other friends. Usagi. She looked as surprised as she sounded when they first heard her. Her mouth was slightly agape and she stared at the two girls her other friend had just outed.

"I'm sorry Usagi…that's not how we wanted to tell you." Makoto said and gave sideways glare at Minako, who again held up her hand defensively.

Usagi looked down for a moment, causing a little concern as to what she was going to do. After what felt like an eternity for the two girls at the center of discussion, though it wasn't more than a few seconds, Usagi lifted her head up and gave her two friends the biggest smile she could. "I'm so happy for the two of you!" She gushed and leapt at the two unsuspecting girls causing them to nearly fall over as she collided with them.

Minako smiled at her friends, though it was far less cheerful than Usagi's. She was truly happy for her friends, but despite that there was still a melancholy feeling that she couldn't shake. She knew it was because of her own situation and she wouldn't allow own feeling put a damper on her friends' blossoming relationships. Just then the first bell toned alerting the girls it was time to start to head to class.

* * *

"And so for today's class, I would like everyone to turn to page…"

Rei zoned her teacher out from that point on and once again her mind traveled back to Chibi-Usa. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on then she was letting on. 'There was something on her mind, but she's reluctant to tell me anything about it. Why though?' She thought to herself.

There wasn't much she could do to get her to open up though, she'd already made herself open to listen to her, but would that be enough. 'It might end up being too late, when she's ready to talk.' She took a deep breath and racked her mind for what else she could do. 'I wonder if she'd be more open with Usagi…'

"Hino-san!"

Rei nearly jumped out of her seat at hearing her name being yelled across the room. When she regained her composure, she quickly stood up and looked at her teacher in front of case, "Yes, Sister."

"Do you mind telling me where I just left off?"

Rei panicked inwardly, but maintain calm on the outside. How was she going to answer that question when she didn't even pay attention to where she said start? She heard someone whisper a page and paragraph number to her left, but she couldn't understand what they said. "I'm sorry Sister…I believe I lost my place."

"Hino-san, you've just come back to us after a week's worth of absences the least you could do is pay attention in class."

"I'm sorry Sister, it won't happen again." Rei said and sat down without another word. She heard one of her classmates apologize quietly. She waited until her teacher was no longer paying attention to her before looking over to her left and whispering, "It was my own fault. There's no need for you to get in trouble too." She finished by giving the girl a quick smile, causing her to turn away from her hurriedly. She turned forward again, this time distantly listening to what her teacher was saying, but her thoughts still lay elsewhere.

* * *

Chibi-Usa sat on the futon and looked around the room again; it must have been the dozenth time she'd done so. Her gaze became drawn a number of frames that sat on the top of the dresser across the room. She stood up and walked over to examine them. She smiled at the picture that was placed in center of the rest; it was a shot of her parents, without anyone else. After a few seconds she looked over the other pictures. In a group shot she noticed a girl that looked just like her. She picked up the frame and stared at it more closely…the girl looked just like her. She put the frame down and walked back over to the futon. She sat down and tried to think about what was going on. She was absolutely certain that she'd never been to the past, 'Was someone playing a on her parents?' she thought and stood up quickly. 'There's someone here that recognized me that isn't my parents or a Sailor Senshi.' She headed to the sliding door to leave the room to search for that person.

She left the room and walked down the hall. She stopped when the hall split off in two different directions. She tried to remember which way would take her out of the shrine. Finally just picking the direction she thought it was she went down the left and continued walking until she reached a room with two sliding doors. She knew this was the correct way she reached there; she remembered that room from the night before. 'This is where Mama mediates…' She reached for the door and was about to open them when she heard someone speaking to her, "I sorry, customers…" He paused when her recognized the girl, "You're Usagi's cousin, right?"

"Wha…I mean y-yes…" She stuttered a bit almost forgetting that was who she was supposed to be.

"Did you spend the night? I didn't see you come in…" Yuuichirou had assumed she would have stayed with Usagi.

"Yeah…Yuui…Yuuich…" She sighed in defeat at her inability to pronounce the man's name.

"Yuuichirou."

Chibi-Usa bowed her head slightly, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, "It's not the easiest name to say."

A thought occurred to Chibi-Usa, 'This man seems to know me as well…maybe I can get some clue about that girl from him' "Say, when did you last see me here? I can't seem to remember how long ago it was."

"About a month ago I'd say."

"Okay…thanks." She thought about questioning the man if he was sure, but that would have only been weirder. There was a picture of a girl that looked like her and everyone seemed to know her, but that didn't mesh with what she knew, she'd never been to the past and hadn't met someone of these people like the man next to her and her mother's grandfather. Then there was the girl with the other Sailor Senshi last night, Hotaru. She didn't know any of them…

"I should really get back to my chores." Yuuichirou said.

Chibi-Usa nodded, "Okay, I'm sorry to have kept you." She said and started to walk toward the shrine's exit again. As she entered the courtyard, she looked around but didn't see anyone immediately. She was curious as to where her mother's grandfather was because she didn't see him in the shrine and now in the courtyard. She walked over the steps that lead down to the street. 'I know I told mama that I'd stay in the shrine, but she won't know if I'm gone for just a little while.' She thought and began walking down the stone steps.

Rei's grandfather stepped out from behind the jinja's charm stand and saw a young girl with pink haired, but before he could say anything she was already descending the stairs.

* * *

Hotaru looked around; she'd been walking for a little more than a half hour already and she was already thinking about walking back to her house. Her walk had done little ease her mind's worries, she hadn't come up with another explanation for why Chibi-Usa didn't know her…except for the first one that she came up with the night before. She shook her head, 'Haruka and Michiru were right…if continue to think that it'll become a selfulfilling prophecy.'

She looked forward again and saw a glimpse of pink hair as the person the corner a little ways away from her. She hurried to catch up to the person. When she reached the corner she looked down block and saw a girl with pink hair and a distinctive hairstyle to match it. 'It is Chibi-Usa…' She thought and looked at the street she was on. 'I didn't realize I walked that far." She thought and turned back to see the other girl approaching an intersection. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a car speeding down the street, right where she was walking. Hotaru ran as fast as she could and hoped that either Chibi-Usa would realize there was a car coming or that she'd make it in time. Just before she could step down from the crib, Hotaru grabbed her by the first thing she could reach…the collar of her top and pulled her back onto the sidewalk.

Chibi-Usa stared wide eyed at the red sports car that zoomed past where she would have been, had she not been pulled away from the street. She tried to will her heartbeat to slow from her near death experience. She took a deep breath before turning around to see the face of her savior. She was at a loss for words as when she saw the very girl she was just thinking about.

"Are you alright?" Hotaru asked she looked over the other girl. She sighed in relief it appeared she made it just in time.

"Y-Yeah…thank you." Her heart was still pounding fiercely in her chest even as she thanked the dark haired girl. She wanted to know about the girl beside her and this seemed like a good opportunity to do just that, "Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

* * *

"She's not anywhere upstairs!" Haruka announced as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"She isn't downstairs either." Michiru said as she walked out of the living room.

"Where could she be?" Haruka asked and ran her hand through her hair nervously.

Michiru grabbed her purse and looked at her lover, she was pacing now. She walked over to the other woman and put her hand reassuringly on her shoulder, "Let's go looking for her."

Haruka nodded her head in agreement and headed for the door, stopping at the small table beside it to grab her keys. She paused mid-motion when she noticed a pad of paper there. When she saw writing on it she picked it up and read the few words that were scribed there.

Michiru walked up behind her and asked, "What is it, Ruka?" The blonde haired woman passed the paper over her shoulder. After reading it she looked up, "At least we know she's safe."

"She could have just told us…"

* * *

Chibi-Usa stopped walking for a moment and asked, "Did you mean what you said last night?"

Hotaru's brow creased in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Chibi-Usa looked over to the dark haired girl, "Do you think it would be possible that we could get to know each bit by bit?"

Hotaru couldn't help but smile at the question, "If that's what you want."

"It is." The pink haired girl said simply. She continued walking with Hotaru close behind her until they reached a bench. Chibi-Usa sat down followed by her companion shortly there after. They sat there for a short time without saying anything until Chibi-Usa finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry, but I don't really know where to start though. I don't really have a lot of experience with making friends. Except for the Sailor Senshi, I don't really have any friends, but it's different with them…I guess you'd be different too then."

After a few moments of silence, Hotaru spoke, "I'm not so good with this kind of thing either…"

"Really?"

Hotaru nodded her head slowly, "Yeah. I never made friends with anyone in school because I was different. When I ever got close to anyone I always hurt them, but wasn't my fault." She paused when she noticed the confused look on the pink haired girl's face. "It's a long story…"

"I don't mind…" She was going to say something more when she saw the other girl's expression, "You don't want to talk about it though, do you?"

Hotaru looked at her feet and put her hands on her thighs. She gripped her skirt tightly with her hands, "I'm sorry…it's just talking about that time…brings up a lot of painful memories that I'd…" She stopped when she felt a hand covering her own. She quickly looked over and saw a pair of worried royal blue eyes staring at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to conjure up bad memories. You don't have to talk about it and I won't bring it out again if that's what you want." Chibi-Usa said sincerely without breaking eye contact with the dark haired girl.

Hotaru was unable to maintain her stare and turned to look forward. "I didn't mean to sound so depressing. Everything wasn't bad. I did have one friend that I made; actually it was more because of her persistence than anything."

"Are you still friends with her?" The pink haired girl let go of her hand as she asked that.

The other girl was silent for a few moments before she settled on her response, "I'm not sure, it's a little complicated."

Chibi-Usa looked at the dark haired girl with a look of confusion, "I don't understand."

"The only friend I've ever truly had was you, but I guess you don't remember that."

Chibi-Usa stared at the other girl, 'How can that be? I've never been to the past.' She stared straight ahead, not really looking at anything in particular, just trying to understand. That was the problem though, she couldn't understand, 'No one's been surprised by me. Everyone seems to think they've met me before, but that's not possible. Everyone remembers me. It's like a girl pretended to be me to fool everyone for some reason. But to know me, she had to have been from the future as well, but that doesn't make any sense!' Chibi-Usa jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, stirring her from her thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

The pink haired girl nodded slowly, "Yeah, I was just thinking…" She paused before remembering what the other girl said to start her previous train of thought, "I'm sorry but I can promise you that I've never traveled to the past before. I wasn't even aware that I  _had_  traveled back in time until it became all too apparent…"

"You didn't intentionally travel to the past?" Hotaru asked curiously.

Chibi-Usa shook her head, "No, one minute I was running away…" she stopped when she realized where that sentence would lead, but it was already too late.

"What were you running from?"

The pink haired girl sighed as she tried to think of what to say, she could almost feel the other girl's eyes on her awaiting her answer. She looked at her feet, "It was a bad person. As I ran I somehow end up here."

"I thought the new Silver Millennium was a utopia, a place free of evil?"

She shook her head slowly, "No, there are still bad people. Mama told me that even in a land ruled by light, there will still be darkness. One can not exist without the other."

Hotaru smiled, "That's just like Usagi-san, but I guess she'd be Queen Serenity in the future though."

The future Princess smiled to as the topic changed to her mother. She nodded her head and looked at the girl beside her, "She's so wise and beautiful. I just hope I'm as wise when I'm Queen."

"I'm sure you'll be a great Queen" Hotaru quickly assured the other girl.

She smiled at the other girl's words, even if she wasn't that sure herself. "It was weird seeing her fight as Sailor Moon though." She said making a weird face before turning to her companion, "She's not a very good fighter is she?"

"Sailor Moon's strength doesn't lay in her fighting prowess…it lies in her heart. She has an unbelievable capacity for love and forgiveness…even for our enemies." Chibi-Usa nodded her head as she listened to Hotaru describe Sailor Moon. "Rei-san said that you can't transform, is that true?"

Chibi-Usa nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, everyone seems to know I can, but I've never been able to. I've been trying for several decades now."

"Several  _decades_?" Hotaru repeated unsure that she'd heard the girl correctly.

She nodded her head, "Yeah. Though my appearance is that of someone in their early teens, I'm actually much older."

"How old are you then?"

"I'll be 900 in about a month. It's natural for those of us with eternal star seeds to stop aging because we are virtually immortal, though it usually occurs when we reach our early twenties, at least that's what Ami-chan told me. She hasn't been able to figure out why I stopped aging when I did." Chibi-Usa explained. Hotaru tried to digest what she was just told, but before she really could, she was caught off guard by another question.

"Can I see what you look like as a senshi?"

Hotaru stared at the other girl, "Why are you asking so suddenly?"

The pink haired girl looked down, "I thought if I saw you as a senshi…I might recognize you…"

Hotaru stood up, drawing the other girl's attention, "Alright." She took a quick look around before saying, "I shouldn't do it right here though…"

The future Princess followed after the other girl as she walked away from the bench. They walked until they found a small clearing a short distance away. It was surrounded by a number of tall trees and bushes, giving them a good amount of cover. Hotaru took one last look around to make sure they were alone before she held her hand up in the air and called out…

"Saturn Crystal Power, Makeup!"

Chibi-Usa squinted her eyes as she watched the other girl's transformation. She couldn't actually  _see_  much of it, but she could see that she was surrounded by a beautiful purple light. It didn't take very long before the light faded and she could see Hotaru again, now fully transformed. The dark haired girl held her right hand out to her side and in mere moments pole began to materialize in her hand. Chibi-Usa watched in awe as the girl's weapon fully realized itself. The pole stood slightly taller than Hotaru, but the curved blade on the top of it added several more inches making the weapon appear much taller than her. She was pulled out of thoughts about the other girl's transformation by her voice.

"Do you recognize me?"

Chibi-Usa blinked a few times before looking over the Sailor Senshi before her. She did as she did the first time she saw the dark haired girl, she racked her brain for any knowledge on the senshi before her, but just as before she came up empty. She lowered her head slightly and dejectedly shook her head, no. She could see the look of disappointment on the Sailor Senshi's face, so she said the only thing she could, "I'm sorry."

Saturn's face brightened when she heard the tone of the other girl's voice. There was no reason for her to feel sorry, if she didn't remember her, it wasn't her fault. "Hey, it was worth a shot."

"You're disappointed though." She said and looked down slightly.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but I don't hold you responsible for what you don't even remember."

Chibi-Usa looked up quickly and asked, "Can I ask you something then?" There was a question she had on her mind since she saw the other girl transform into a Sailor Senshi.

"Sure. What is it?" Saturn replied.

"What is your title?"

She was a little surprised at first, but then she realized that she hadn't introduced herself after she transformed. Saturn looked at the future Princess calmly and planted her Silence Glaive firmly in the ground, but continued to hold it as she put her hand over the bow on her chest and bowed slightly. She kept her head lowered as she spoke, "I am Sailor Saturn, the senshi of death and rebirth." She looked over to her pink haired companion, only to see she was looking away from her, 'Did I say something wrong?' she questioned herself.

"You needn't be so formal." She said while she continued stare away. After a moment she looked at the dark haired senshi of Saturn, her cheeks holding a faint tinge of pink to them.

"Am I embarrassing you, Princess?" She said a little teasingly before undoing her transformation.

"Sort of…none of the senshi are so formal with me, unless we are at court." Chibi-Usa said honestly and looked back at her companion. "You're a powerful solider though, I can tell. Are you stronger than Rei-mama?"

Hotaru looked to the sky for a moment, seemingly in thought. "In a combat situation, Rei-san would and  _has_  wiped the floor with me, but if you're talking in pure destructive power yes, I would be stronger. However, it doesn't matter though because I can't use my full power anyway."

"Why not?"

"My full power is meant to bring about an end to everything. I would destroy everything so that everything can begin again. That is my true purpose as a senshi." Hotaru explained. She became silent for a few seconds before she added, "There's only been one time that I've ever had to use all of my power and I hope there never comes a time where I will need to again. There was almost a second time though…"

Chibi-Usa stared in wonder at the other girl; it was a lot to have on one person's shoulders. She couldn't help but be intrigued by what she meant that there  _almost_  was a second time, so the question left her lips before she could even think about it further, "What happened that second time?"

"Usagi-san saved me." Hotaru said proudly and paused for a moment before explaining in more detail, "There was a very powerful enemy trying to invade from outside our solar system and things were bad. Sailor Moon lost a lot of her power and she couldn't defeat him. I couldn't let him destroy this planet. I became Sailor Saturn and met him before he could reach Earth. I fought with him for some time but before long I realized what I had to…I had to end everything. I prepared drop my Silence Glaive, but she stopped me from completing my attack and together we destroyed him. But I'd used all of my power and I was sure I was going to die…but she saved me. Usagi-san saved me. I don't know what happened exactly, but I reverted to a baby somehow…I couldn't tell you how and I don't think Usagi-san could either." Hotaru finished by taking a deep breath and adding, "I don't take my power lightly. I said that I hope I never have to use it again and that is true, but I will if I have to…"

Chibi-Usa stared at the dark haired girl wonder. She was truly a solider. There was an unshakable resolve in her eyes, she could see it. Even if she didn't wish to do it, she would accomplish the duty assigned to her as a Sailor Senshi. She couldn't help but think about herself and her inability to transform. Her gaze traveled downward as she thought, 'No wonder I can't become a Sailor Senshi. How can I hope to inherit the mantle left by my mother?' She lifted her head again focused on the girl beside her, 'If I can prove myself to have half the spirit Hotaru has, I'll surely be able to transform…' Hotaru finally smiled again and Chibi-Usa felt herself thinking that face suited her much more than her previous serious face.

"Enough depressing talk, it's nearly three thirty and…" Chibi-Usa stood up unexpectedly causing Hotaru to cut her statement short.

"What? It's that late already?"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Hotaru asked, standing up beside the other girl.

"Rei-mama told me to stay at the shrine until she got back from school and she should be back any minute now. If she sees that I'm not there…" She stopped when she heard a beeping noise and looked at Hotaru curiously.

The dark haired girl quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her communicator. She opened the device and saw Rei's face…

* * *

Rei entered her room and put her bag down by the door, "Chibi-Usa…I'm back!" She called and looked around for any sign of the pink haired girl, but came up empty. 'She wasn't in the courtyard, was she?' She thought and left her room. She quickly headed for the main shrine's exit and before she knew it, she was outside. She did a quick scan of the grounds, but couldn't find any sign of the girl she was looking for. However, she did spot her grandfather near the steps to the shrine and hurried over to him, "Jii-chan!"

The old man turned around, "What's wrong Rei?"

"Usagi's cousin, you know the girl with pink hair, have you seen her around anywhere?"

"Oh, she left about two hours ago. I was going to ask her why she was leaving without saying goodbye." He said casually.

"She didn't say anything?" Rei asked quickly, but her grandfather just shook his head. She held her tongue, but she really felt like cursing. "Thanks Jii-chan" She said and ran back inside.

'Why would she leave? She agreed to stay here.' She thought to herself as she made it back to her room in record time. As soon as she got inside she pulled out her communicator…

"Attention everyone, I need you're help. I don't know where Chibi-Usa is. She was supposed to stay at the jinja, but isn't here. I need everyone's help to find her."

* * *

Hotaru looked at Chibi-Usa after Rei's voice cut out. It seemed as though Rei was already home and wasn't wasting any time calling everyone to search for the girl beside her. She looked her communicator again a pressed a couple buttons. In a few moments she began to speak…

"Rei-san, it's alright. She's with me."

There was short silence over the device, before Rei's voice could be heard…

"Hotaru…how did you find her so quickly?"

She shook her head at the question, "No, we've been together for a while now. We've just been talking." Hotaru could hear the other girl sigh after she said that.

"Could you bring her here? I'd like to have a word with her."

Hotaru looked over to her companion, who had a look on her face like she knew she was going to be scolded. She turned back the device in her hand, "We'll be at the jinja shortly." She said and put the circular object in her pocket again. She walked over to the pink haired girl across from her and put her hand on her shoulder, "Come on, let's go back the jinja."

* * *

Rei lowered her head and sighed quietly, before looking at her communicator again and pressed a few buttons to contact the rest of senshi sans Hotaru. Once she was connected she said, "False alarm everyone. She's with Hotaru. I'm sorry to have worried everyone." She got the girls' responses almost immediately; needless to say there was universal relief from the group. "Thanks everyone."

After everyone else had disconnected, Usagi's face came on the screen, "I'm still coming over, Rei. I'll be there in about ten minutes."

Rei nodded, "See you then Usa." She said and closed her communicator. She sat on her futon and rubbed her temples, 'What am I supposed to do if she won't keep her word?' she thought and fell back on her futon. She lay on her back staring up at the ceiling almost hoping to find her answer there. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, 'I don't think I'm ready for this kind of thing…' As soon as she finished that thought, she heard a knock on her door.

"Rei, it's me."

She smiled and got off her futon. She walked over to the door and opened it. She motioned for Usagi to come inside; she closed the door after wards and followed her girlfriend to her futon. Once they were both sitting down, Usagi asked, "What happened?"

Rei shook her head, "I don't know." She looked down as she added, "Usa, she told me that she'd stay here, but she didn't keep her word…I don't what to say to her…"

Usagi shifted closer to Rei and put her hands on her cheeks. She looked straight into her amethyst eyes, "Tell her how you felt when you realized she was missing. I think that's really all she'll need to hear." She said and smiled reassuringly.

Rei was going to say something when there was another knock on her door. Again Rei walked over to her door and opened it. She looked at both girls for a moment before addressing one of them, "Hotaru, do you think you can wait right here while we talk to Chibi-Usa?" The dark haired girl nodded and stepped away from the door, she chose to stand next to it in the hall. Rei moved aside to let the younger girl inside. Chibi-Usa saw her mother sitting on the futon and once she was inside, she heard the door slid closed.

Rei walked over to Usagi and sat on the futon beside her, "Why didn't you leave a note or anything? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"….I'm sorry." Chibi-Usa said quietly. That really the only defense she could offer up, it was weak…she knew that, but it was only thing she could say.

"You can't ever do that again." Rei said seriously

The pink haired girl nodded her head before turning gaze downward. 'I've disappoi…' Her thoughts were cut short when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up and saw her mother holding her.

"I'm really glad nothing happened to you." Rei said quietly and hugged the other girl tighter. Chibi-Usa's eyes watered and she buried her face in her mother's chest.

Usagi shook her head slightly, 'You're nothing but a big softy after all.' She thought as she watched the two girls.

* * *

_Elsewhere_

A tall man stepped through a tent's entrance and looked around. He didn't see who he was expecting to see, making him wonder if he was directed into the wrong tent. "Where is the commander?"

"You needed concern yourself. I'll be giving the orders around here from here on out." Heliodor said calmly and watched the other man sit down across from him. "I understand you were also sent after the Princess…what did you learn?"

He nodded his head quickly, "Yes…" he said and explained what he knew about what transpired. When he was done the other man spoke…

"You are certain one of the warriors that defeated our tracker was Mars?"

"I am. My psychometry is never wrong. The other warrior bore a striking resemblance to the Queen Serenity, but I wasn't aware she could take the form of a warrior as well."

"That's good work…" Heliodor said trailing off at the end, unsure of his companion's name.

"Nabesite, sir."

"Nabesite." He repeated and stood up. "You have a useful ability for a Shade." He said as he walked to the exit of his tent. He pulled back the cloth on one side before saying, "I'll call upon you when I need your services again."

"What is our next course of action?"

"Let me worry about strategy. You simply must be ready when you're needed again." He said and directed him to leave. He watched him exit before walking back to where he sat before, 'If she's going to be protected by them…I'll need to go about this differently than I originally planned.'

End Ch.3

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fairly light chapter. It's been quite fun to write the interaction between Chibi-Usa and Hotaru.


	4. Times They are a Changin'

Chapter 4 – Times They are a Changin'

* * *

Usagi watched the two girls embrace a little longer before coughing quietly into her hand, drawing the two girl's attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but it'd be polite to ask Hotaru if she'd like to come inside as well."

Rei looked over to her girlfriend before releasing Chibi-Usa, "I almost forgot she was outside. I'll go invite her in." She said and headed to the door.

Once Rei walked over to her bedroom door, Usagi looked at the pink haired girl standing a short distance from her. "Can you come over here for a second, Chibi-Usa?"

Rei slid open her bedroom door and looked into the hallway. Hotaru was leaning against the wall beside the door, but jumped away from it slightly when she heard the door open.

"Did I scary you?"

Hotaru shook her head, "No, I was just lost in my thoughts."

Rei nodded, "Come on in. Sorry for making you wait." She moved aside and motioned for the other girl to enter.

The younger girl quickly shook her head, "Its fine. I understand you needed to speak to Chibi-Usa alone."

Once they both stepped inside, they saw that Chibi-Usa and Usagi were talking to each other; though it seemed as though Usagi was the one doing most of the talking. Rei turned her attention to Hotaru, "Let's give them a few more minutes." She said and led her companion away from her futon, towards her closet.

"That's actually better, because I wanted to talk to you about something anyway." Hotaru said.

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

Hotaru looked over to the other two girls in the room, before turning back to Rei. She took a deep breath and whispered, "Chibi-Usa."

"Did something happen earlier?"

The younger girl shook, "No, nothing  _happened_. It's just what she said to me while we were talking." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Rei-san, she's thoroughly convinced that she's never been to the past. She told me herself."

Rei turned her attention to the girl they were discussing, she was currently hugging Usagi, it seemed they were done talking. "Maybe…" she whispered.

Hotaru stared at the senshi of flame with a curious expression, "I'm sorry…what?"

Rei smiled and turned to look at the girl beside her, "It's nothing, just thinking out loud. I won't deny that it's been something I've thought about ever since she showed up. She seems to be a completely different person, with different memories and everything. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to keep trying to figure everything out. I get the feeling there's more going on then we know."

"Rei…" Hotaru began to say, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I promise we'll figure what's going on…and I never break my promises." Rei said and put her arm around the shorter girl's shoulder and lead her over Usagi and Chibi-Usa.

Chibi-Usa turned her attention to her future mother. After a couple seconds she nodded her head and walked over. Usagi patted the spot on the futon beside where she sat, urging the other girl to sit there. The pink haired girl sat in the offered spot and gave Usagi her full attention.

Usagi closed her eyes for a second before saying, "I'm not sure your reason going off by yourself, but that's not something you can do again."

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble…"

Usagi shook her head, "I don't care about that. We'd use all of our power to find you no matter the reason. I'm saying that you can't do something like that to Rei again. If you were going to leave you should have left a note or something."

Chibi-Usa looked down as she said, "I don't intend to be gone as long as I was."

"Still that's no excuse, especially after Rei asked you not to leave."

The pinked girl nodded her head slightly, "I know…I was just…"

Usagi watched her future daughter carefully as her sentence trailed off trying to figure out where she was going. "What is it?"

"I…" She paused and hazarded a look at the woman next to her. She didn't know what she was looking for, but in her eyes she saw only concern and curiosity, prompting her to finish her thought, "I just wanted to understand what happened here in the past; what  _I_  did that I don't remember." The younger girl said, adding extra emphasis when referring to what 'she' did in the past.

"That's not something you need to do on your own. We, all of the Sailor Senshi, will help with that."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to figure things out all by myself."

"I promise none of us will pressure you to remember anything and in return I want you to come to me or Rei or any of the other girls if you want help for anything. You don't have to do anything alone."

Chibi-Usa nodded her head before she felt herself being pulled into an embrace. She smiled as she felt her mother's warmth wash over her. She thought about telling her that she knew she wouldn't remember anything, but she only considered it for a nanosecond, she didn't want to dampen the moment.

"Is everything alright?" Rei asked drawing the two girl's attention.

Usagi let go of the pink haired girl and smiled, "Yep."

* * *

Heliodor stepped out of his makeshift command post and look at the stars for a moment before walking back inside. After a second, a bright light flashed from within and Heliodor exited the tent again, this time with a large creature following behind him. He took a couple steps away before turning back, "Keep order while I'm gone." He said before disappearing. Within moments he reappeared in a completely different location. It was dark, the place he arrived. It seemed cave like, but with so little light it was almost impossible to be sure. Heliodor took a few steps forward, undaunted by the darkness; in fact he seemed to be most comfortable in it. After a quick look around, he opened his mouth as to say something, but that was when another voice spoke.

"You're late." Announced a voice.

Heliodor looked into the direction of the voice and smiled, "I believe I'm on time." He couldn't see the figure clearly, but he knew full well who was talking to him.

"You're thirty seven seconds late."

"Oww, come on Maxi-chawn don't be so picky. Not everyone can be as punctual as you."

"Don't call me that." The voice hissed.

"Would both of you shut up?" *YAWN* "You're giving me a headache." A new figure said in a distinctly feminine voice as it approached, sitting down after a couple more steps.

"Are we keeping you awake?" Heliodor asked, a little condescendingly.

The sitting figure simply shrugged indifferently, "I could think of about a dozen things I'd rather be doing right now than be talking to you two."

"Why you…" Heliodor started to say, but paused when he felt a hand on his shoulder. There only existed one that could sneak behind him without noticing and he wasn't about to fight that person.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you. You know full well where you stand." The new figure cautioned and removed their hand from his shoulder.

"Oh…let him try…" The one sitting complained but paused for a moment before speaking seriously for the first time, "I  **want** him to try."

"Stop taunting him or I'll be forced to put you in your place again." The newest one to arrive said warningly.

"Pfft…you're no fun." The one sitting said.

After a few minutes of silence, Heliodor spoke again, "So where's…." He began only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"I'm right here."

All four who'd already arrived immediately came to attention at the new voice. They each bowed on one knee and silently waited to be addressed again. After the silence dragged on a little longer the newest member of their group spoke again. "Heliodor, stand."

He quickly did as commanded and waited for the next command, which came quickly. "Heliodor, we are here to hear what you've learned about the Princess' whereabouts."

"Of course, it appears the Princess somehow managed to escape our grasp by traveling to the past."

"How is that possible? All of our intelligence showed that she has no powers." Said the voice of the second to last to arrive.

Heliodor shook his head, "I am unsure as to  _how_  she accomplished that feat at the moment, but I'm looking into it. It's most likely that she had aid in her escape, but I'm unaware of any of the court having such a power."

"What does it matter  _how_ …we need that brat!" one of the darken figures said irritably.

"You aren't really suggesting that  _how_  she achieved such a feat is unimportant. Are you're implying, it doesn't matter whether we know the abilities of our enemy or not. What if they've been hiding something…?"

"Both of you shut up!" The last one of the group to arrive yelled and slammed the staff in their hand into the ground, knocking the two who were arguing to the ground. "What is your next plan of action, Heliodor?"

Once he picked himself off the ground, he quickly said, "I wish to decipher the current strength of the warriors that are protecting her and once I do that, I'll know what level of force I must use to acquire the Princess from their protection. I plan to send a number of youma of varying strength and measure their strength by how long it takes for them to defeat them."

"Why not just go and get the Princess yourself?" Asked the one Heliodor referred to as Maxi-chawn earlier.

Heliodor laughed at the question immediately before replying, "I'm not foolish enough to fight them without knowing where they stand. I'm not going to throw myself into the fire without understanding their strength."

"Proceed as you've planned. If they truly are who you say…I'm also interested in their current abilities." Once that was said the last to arrive became the first to leave.

Heliodor looked at his remaining companions, "I guess I've got work to do." He said and smirked before disappearing.

"Does anyone really believe he'll succeed?"

"Oh come on let's have faith in…ha ha ha…I can't even say it with a straight face."

"Of course he won't succeed, but that's when we'll get our opportunity…"

* * *

"Whatcha doing Minako?" Artemis asked after jumping on the desk where the girl in question sat.

"Homework." The blond haired girl replied simply.

"Oh…can I ask you something?"

Minako didn't even put down her pencil as she said, "Sure."

"You almost seemed disappointed when Rei called off the search for Chibi-Usa."

This time she put down her pencil and looked at the cat sitting in front of her, "That's not true. I was just relieved to hear that she was safe."

The white cat cocked his head slightly, "I'm not saying you weren't relieved, but are you sure that's all?"

Artemis had debated with himself whether to confront his charge with her reaction after Rei's communication, but her initial response to his question urged him to press forward. He missed the days when she would come to him about what was on her mind, rather than him having to almost pry the information out of her. 'Maybe it's because she's older…' He thought to himself. Although, he'd anticipated she would be more open with him as she got older, on the other hand it could just be a teen age girl thing.

Minako crossed her arms and stared at Artemis, "What are you trying to say? Please just tell me."

"Why don't you tell me? I've known you for a long time now and I know when something is off." Artemis countered.

Minako stared at the white cat, "Well you need to get your 'kitty-sense' fixed, cause nothing's  _off_." She said and went back to writing on paper in front of her. She continued to write, though she could feel the cat's eyes on her. She tried to ignore him, but despite her efforts she found herself only able to do so for so long. Minako sighed, "What do you want me to say?"

"Whatever it is that you're feeling."

Minako lowered her head for a moment before focusing back on the white cat, "Artemis, there is nothing wrong, if anything…I'm just a little a little disappointed we're not hanging out tonight, but it's nothing. We don't have to spend every second with each other; we're going to be together for a long time. I don't want to be a third wheel to any of them either."

"You wouldn't…"

The blond shook her head, "I told you already its fine."

This time it was Artemis' turn to sigh, "Alright Minako, if you say its fine, I guess its fine." He'd leave it at that for now…

Minako nodded her head slightly and turned back to her homework. After just a short time longer, she put her pencil down, "That's done. I hate homework, it just another way for teachers to torture us." She said and walked over to her bed. She threw herself onto the mattress. She landed on her stomach, but quickly turned on to her side, looking towards the desk across from her bed. She saw Artemis still sitting atop the piece of furniture, bringing a question to her mind that was too tempting not to ask, "So, Artemis have you talked to Luna?" Minako supported her head with her hand as she stared at the feline waiting for an answer.

The small white cat was a little surprised by the question, though he should have expected her to ask sooner or later. "Yes actually. Why?" He asked even though he suspected his charge's next question.

"How has she taken Usagi and Rei?" She asked seriously.

Artemis jumped down from his position on the desk and approached Minako's bed, "Actually, really well, much better than I expected. She told me about some of the bad nights Usagi had while Rei was kidnapped and about the night Rei stayed at Usagi's when she finally returned. She said that she didn't let Usagi know she was there, but she watched Usagi with Rei and heard her talking to her. After everything she saw and heard she knew there wouldn't be anything she could say that would change Usagi's feelings even if she wanted to."

Minako smiled and rolled onto her back, "I'm glad. Their love  _is_  true, Artemis, I feel it every time I'm near either of them."

Artemis nodded his head, he'd been told that multiple times, it wasn't like Minako was trying to convince herself or anything, she already  _knew_  and he understood that. The future Usagi was " _meant_ " to share with Mamoru wasn't something easily changed and yet things had clearly changed. The  _destined_  couple was no longer a couple, they lost one of their own, Sailor Pluto, and as Minako had told him just the day before Chibi-Usa returned from the future, but she wasn't the same girl they remembered. Apparently, she was now somehow both Rei and Usagi's daughter. He wasn't entirely sure how it was possible, but her existence seems to cement their union. "Minako?"

The blonde teenager turned her head to the left, "Hmm?"

"You know I'll be here if you ever need to talk about anything."

Minako smiled before looked back up at her room's ceiling, "Thanks, but I already knew that, Artemis."

* * *

"You two don't need anymore time to talk, do you?" Rei asked.

Usagi shook her head, "No, I think Chibi-Usa understands what we were talking about." She said followed by a quick nod from the pink haired girl beside her. Usagi stood up and walked over to Rei, prompting Hotaru to step away, towards the other girl's futon. Usagi put her hand on her girlfriend's forearm, squeezing it slightly, drawing the other girl's attention.

"What is it?" Rei asked quietly.

Usagi looked at Rei as she said, "There's something I want to do and I want to come with me, but we can talk about it on the way." Afterwards, she turned back to two younger girls in the room, "Rei and I have to go somewhere for just a little while. So, Hotaru, do you think you'd be able to stay here and keep Chibi-Usa company for a little while?"

The pink haired girl quickly spoke, "Is something wrong?"

Usagi shook her head, "It's nothing like that. There's just something we have to do, just the two of us."

"I don't mind staying; I just need to tell Haruka and Michiru though." Hotaru said and sat next to Chibi-Usa.

"Feel free to use my phone." Rei said motioning toward the phone near where the younger girl sat.

Hotaru nodded, "Thanks."

"Alright, we'll be going now. We shouldn't be that long." Usagi said and lead her girlfriend out the door.

Once they were in the hall and shut the door, Rei turned to Usagi, "So, where exactly are we going?"

"Mamoru's apartment." The blond haired girl said calmly.

"You want to tell him about Chibi-Usa." Rei theorized aloud, causing the other girl to shake her head silently. After that, the two girls became to make their way to the shrine's exit.

* * *

Once they were alone Chibi-Usa asked, "Where do you think they're going?"

Hotaru smiled at her reassuringly, she had a guess but if Usagi didn't want to say she didn't have the right to say her theory, "I don't know. They may just want some time alone."

The pink haired girl frowned and flopped back onto the futon. She swung her legs slightly, as they no longer touched the ground as she leaned back. She lay like that for a few minutes before sitting up abruptly and staring over to Hotaru, "Do you want to follow them?" she asked mischievously.

Hotaru laughed a little at the question, and immediately she understood the alerter motive Usagi probably had in asking her to stay. Eventually she shook her head, "I don't think that would be a good idea, especially so soon after what happened earlier."

"But I wouldn't be going out alone this time, you'd be with me and I'm sure you can handle any dangers we might encounter." Chibi-Usa countered, trying to show this was a completely different circumstance.

Hotaru looked at the girl beside her, "I'd certainly protect you from harm…" She said seriously, more serious than the pink haired girl expected to hear. After only a brief pause Hotaru broke eye contact and added, "But Usagi-san asked me to stay  _here_  with you and I can't simply disobey her request."

Chibi-Usa sat silently for several seconds before finally conceding, "Okay we don't have to follow them." She wasn't being completely serious about following them in the first place and she didn't want to say anything else that might accidentally strike a nerve for the other girl.

The dark haired girl nodded slightly and reached for the phone near her, "I should really call Haruka and Michiru now though."

* * *

Heliodor walked in front of a line of five creatures. He looked over each as he walked past them. Once he reached the last one, he turned around and walked back until he was standing front and center to them, "All of you have been chosen for a very important mission." He paused and observed everyone, "You will soon travel to a distant place, where you will fight. Destroy everything in your path!" He said causing the group before him to cheer.

"When you meet the royal guard and I promise you, you  _will_ meet them, it will be all of your responsibilities to kill them. I expect all of you to work together to accomplish this. If any fall, I expect those that remain to press on until their dieing breath as well." Heliodor pause once more before adding, "That is all. Be ready when the path is opened, because that is when you will be called on to fight! Dismissed!" He watched the creatures leave and once all were gone, he turned away and walked over to his tent.

"That was quite a rousing speech, sir." Nabesite said admiringly.

Heliodor smiled, "Is that so? Did it also encourage you then?"

"Of course, sir!"

This time Heliodor laughed before saying, "Good, because you'll be going with them."

"I-I'm sorry, sir. I usually do my best work after everything has finished." Nabesite stammered, clearly surprised to hear he'd be at the front lines.

"I don't intent for you to fight…" He said and paused for a moment before quietly adding, "I want you to observe. That's what you do correct?"

He quickly nodded his head, "Y-Yes."

"And that's all I expect you to do here. Once all of them are dead, I want you to return and report back  _everything_  you saw." Heliodor explained.

* * *

Michiru hung up the phone and sat down beside Haruka again, "It seems Hotaru is going to spend some time at Rei's with Chibi-Usa."

"Well, that's good." Haruka said and put her arm around her lover.

Michiru nodded her head, "Yeah…"

"You're still worried about her though." The blonde haired woman stated.

"And you aren't?" Michiru countered.

"Of course I am, but the fact that she's communicating with Chibi-Usa is a good thing. She was upset that she didn't know Hotaru as well, last night. Hopefully together, they can work on figuring out why that is." Haruka explained.

Michiru nodded, "I hope so…"

* * *

Ami walked over to the couch Makoto sat, "How about Friday?" the blue haired girl asked out of the blue.

Makoto looked over her shoulder to the other girl, "What do you mean?"

Ami sat down beside her girlfriend, "Well, I was thinking that we should have dinner over at my place…with my mother." She added the last part almost as a whisper.

"Oh…as long as you're ready, so am I."

The blue haired girl immediately heard the hesitation in her girlfriend's voice, "I'm not rushing you into this am I?"

The senshi of protection quickly shook her head, trying to dispel any concerns her lover was feeling. "No, you're not. I just want  _you_  to be sure."

"I am. I want to be able to take you home and not be afraid of my mother walking in on us in an… _intimate_ …moment. I don't want to be afraid to show affection to you because I'm afraid my mother will find out that way. I want to be the one to tell her. I don't want her to stumble onto something and find out like that. You understand, right?"

Makoto moved closer to her love and put her arm around her shoulders, "Of course, I do Ames. I didn't want it to sound like I wanted to hide anything. I'd scream a declaration of my love for you from the top of Tokyo Tower, if you asked me."

Ami giggled a little at the other girl's declaration, "I certainly wouldn't ask you to do that, I promise." She said and paused for a short time before saying, "I just don't want to hide my feelings for you from my mother anymore. It just seems like it'd be more official if we do the family introduction thing, you know?"

Makoto nodded her head, "Yeah." She said and held the other girl a little tighter. The two girls stayed like that for some time before Ami put her hand on Makoto's thigh, prompting her to let her go.

"I'm a little thirsty, did you want anything?" Ami asked as she got up and took a step towards the kitchen.

Makoto shook her head, "No, I'm fine thanks." She said and watched Ami head to the kitchen before getting up herself. She walked to the right, to a wall that contained a number of shelves with several picture frames. She stood there silently for a couple seconds before reaching her hand out and tracing the frame of one picture with her forefinger. There were only two people in that particular photograph, a man and woman. The man was hugging the woman from behind and both were smiling brightly for the picture.

Ami entered the living room once more and saw her girlfriend standing in front of a shelf of photos. She placed her bottle of water on the coffee table and walked over to her love quietly. Despite how quiet she was being, she must have done something to warn the other girl of her presence because before she reached her, she heard her speak to her.

"I wish they could have met you."

Ami stepped up to the taller girl's back and slipped her arms around the other girl's waist. She held the other girl genially, pressed against her back, and rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. "I wish I could have met them. They had to have been wonderful people to have created you."

Makoto smiled to herself and just enjoyed the warmth of her lover on her back for a short time before quietly asking, "Do you think your mother will like me?"

"Oh, I know she already likes you…"

"As your friend yes…but what about as your girlfriend?"

Ami finally let go of the taller girl and reach up to her shoulders and turned the other girl around so she could look her in the eyes. As soon as she was facing her, she put her hand on Makoto's cheeks, "I love you and so will my mother. You can trust me when I say you have nothing to worry about there."

Makoto smiled, "Thank Ames." She followed that up by leaning down and kissing the shorter girl.

* * *

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Usagi shook her head quickly, "No, I don't think it would be a good idea. I mean, it might be a little too much a once."

Rei nodded, "You're probably right. I don't want this to be any harder than it already is."

"Thanks Rei." The blond teenager said and immediately followed her statement up by hugging the darker haired girl.

After a short few seconds Usagi pulled away and took a couple steps toward the elevator before being stalled by Rei's hand holding her own. She looked at her girlfriend curiously, while Rei smiled back at her and said, "Take as long as you need, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be in the lobby."

It was Usagi's turn to smile as she said, "Thanks. I will try to be quick though, because I don't think prolonging this will make things easier." With that they released each other's hands and Usagi walked over to the elevator. She pressed the arrow pointing up when she arrived and waited patiently for her transportation to come. It couldn't have been more than ten seconds before a ding sounded and the doors opened. She stepped inside and quickly pushed the floor number and turn forward once more, seeing Rei give her one more smile before the doors closed.

Rei walked over to one of the empty chairs in the lobby, sat down, and prepared to wait. There was a time not too long ago when she would have been jealous of the Prince of Earth spending time with Usagi, especially alone, but she was happy to honestly admit there was no jealousy in her heart at the moment. Of course, that could also have to do with the subject her girlfriend intended to discuss with Mamoru, Chibi-Usa. More specifically Chibi-Usa's parentage. Rei sighed; perhaps her time alone waiting for Usagi would give her more time to reflect on that herself…

* * *

Usagi stepped off the elevator and went to the left. She pasted half a dozen doors before reaching her desired destination. She knocked on an apartment door; one that she'd was very familiar with. She'd been there a number of times in the past, though none recently. She remembered spending a lot of time here with Chibi-Usa, those were good memories, but there were also some not so good ones as well, but she didn't want think about them. She took a deep breath as she anticipated her former boyfriend to open the door. It felt like it was taking him forever, though in actuality she knew it'd only been a few seconds. A passing thought crossed her mind, 'What if he isn't even home?' "Maybe I should have called beforehand…" She whispered to herself. As soon as the words left her lips though, she heard the door being unlocked. She took one more deep breath before expecting the door to be opened.

The door opened slowly, almost cautiously, and Mamoru stuck his head outside to see who was there. At first he wasn't sure he was seeing right so he asked her name aloud, "…Usagi?

"Yeah, may I come in?" The teen asked.

"T-This is a bit of a surprise." Mamoru said, stepping out of his apartment to formally greet his visitor.

"I'm sorry, I really should have called. Is this a bad time?" Usagi asked a little sheepishly.

The dark haired man shook his head, "No. No. It's fine; just give me a minute to make things a little more presentable." He said and disappeared inside his apartment once more. A few minutes passed before he emerged again and motioned for his former girlfriend to come inside. As she walked by he voiced a question that had been on his mind since he saw her  _alone_ , "Rei isn't with you?" Mamoru asked a little surprised.

"She's in the lobby; I thought it best that I come up alone though."

The Prince of Earth nodded, "That wasn't necessary…"

"I know. I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable."

He nodded once more. He knew better than to question her decision further, so instead he asked, "So what brings you here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing…" Usagi said, trailing off at the end.

"That couldn't be all. I mean, you could have just called for that."

"Yes, I could have and you could easily lie over the phone." Usagi said matter-of-factly. After a few second pause she got down to her real reason for coming over, "However you're right, I do have another purpose for coming here. Some thing's happened that you need to be told about and I think it'd be unfair to you to tell you over the phone."

Mamoru inched forward in his chair, anticipating the younger girl's next statement. A number of things crossed his mind, but what was at the forefront of his thoughts was that whatever happened it was related to senshi business. While a part of him wished that wasn't the case, he couldn't deny that a couple battles with youma would make him feel more like things were before and that wouldn't be something all that bad as far as he was concerned. "Go on." He urged.

"It has to do with Chibi-Usa…" She started slowly, not wanted to unload everything at once.

The dark haired man was a little taken aback, "Ch-Chibi-Usa?" He leaned back into his chair, from his previous position near the edge of the seat.

"Well, she arrived from the future again, just yesterday."

"She's here! Can I go see her?" He asked quickly.

Usagi took a slow deep breath before responding, "I don't think that would be a problem, but there's something you need to know…"

"What do you…?" Even as the words left his mouth, he realized something was off. Usagi was holding something back…

"She's a little different from how you'd remember. She hasn't acted as childish as she did before. Though the most significant change would be how she addresses Rei and me." She paused and observed the man in front of her for a moment, "I'm sorry Mamoru, but it seems Rei and I are her…"

Before Usagi could actually say the words, Mamoru spoke, "What are you apologizing for? I-I guess that would only make sense…we're not together anymore, so why would she be mine and yours?" He paused and stared off past Usagi, "I'm glad she's still alive at least. I was a little worried about her."

"I'm sorry…" Usagi started to say, but was talked over.

"Usagi, do you think I could have some time alone?" He asked not really look at the girl he was addressing.

The Moon Princess nodded and stood up, "I'll be leaving then…" She walked over to the door and stopped, "If you want to talk, don't hesitate to call."

* * *

_DING_

Rei perked up again and stared at the elevator, waiting to see who was exiting this time. She came back down to Earth when she didn't spot Usagi. It had to have been around a dozen times she'd watched the elevator expectantly. It hadn't been that long since her girlfriend went up stairs, but she couldn't help but expect her to return already, even if it was unrealistic. She leaned back in the chair she was sitting in and gazed upwards.

'Chibi-Usa…'

There were still a number of questions she had about the young girl that she had yet to ask. She was afraid that most of her questions would have to remain without answers though because she had no intention of grilling Chibi-Usa for answers that aren't her responsibility to tell. There was only one person that could answer all her questions and she wasn't with them anymore. She didn't know how much if anything she could trust about the future they'd seen. They were very much in the dark about the future now…

_DING_

Rei looked over to the elevator again, not really expecting her girlfriend to be among the people getting off, but to her surprise she saw her walk out with the last group to leave. The raven haired girl jumped up from her seat and met her princess just shortly after she'd exited the elevator.

"How did it go?"

Usagi took a deep breath, "About as good as it could go…I guess."

Rei put her arm around the slightly shorter girl's shoulders, not caring what anyone might think for the time being. She held her love close, "It was better he heard it from you, but I'm sure it was still probably hard for him."

Usagi nodded slowly, "Yeah and there really wasn't anything I could say that would soften the news either."

"Like you said though, he had a right to be told." The raven haired girl said and began to walk her girlfriend to the apartment's exit.

The blond haired girl nodded once more, "I know. I just don't like having to hurt him…"

The two girls exited the apartment building in silence. When they reached the sidewalk and turned down the path that would lead them back to the jinja, Rei spoke again, "Do you think you'll ever look back and wonder if you made the wrong choice?"

Usagi smiled, "How could I have made the wrong choice if I'm with the person I love?" She asked as she looked up adoringly, causing Rei to turn as red as the fuku she wears as Sailor Mars. Usagi giggled at how red she made her girlfriend turn. After a few seconds she calmed herself enough to say, "Besides, I don't think it was really a  _choice_ …it was more like a need. When I realized how I felt, I needed to be with you, there was no other option."

Rei smiled brightly, "I didn't think it was possible, but I think I love you even more…" She tilted her head toward Usagi to allow their lips to meet when she heard a scream in front of them. Both girls stopped and looked forward and saw a large group of people running towards them. A couple people's screams could be made out…

"They're going to kill us!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Monsters! They're everywhere!"

Rei and Usagi immediately ran in the direction everyone else was running from. They reached the end of the block and could hear the screaming getting louder, there were also fewer people running toward them. They were getting closer. When they turned the corner they were met by a horrifying sight. There were at least a dozen abandoned cars in the street, a couple of which were over-turned and in flames, but that wasn't what sickened the two girls who just arrived. There were several bloodied and mangled bodies lying on the ground. Among the dead lay a young boy who couldn't have been more than five, but still the monsters responsible for this massacre didn't differentiate man, woman, or child.

Usagi felt her stomach retch at the sight before her; she had to will herself not to lose her lunch, a battle that she barely won. The disgusted look on Rei's face gave way to anger as she tried figure out who was responsible for this needless killing. Her amethyst eyes hardened as they found themselves fixated on a group of six youma a short distance down the street. The path they took was clear, as they left nothing but destruction in their wake. Rei quickly pulled out her henshin stick and shouted her transformation phrase.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Usagi quickly swung her head around to look at the girl beside her, but only saw a streak of red zoom by her.

"Rei!" She called, but either she didn't hear her name being called or pretended not to, because she didn't react at all.

Usagi quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a round device. She pressed a couple buttons before speaking, "We've got trouble on…" Usagi looked around quickly for a street sign, "19th Street, near New Matsuya Pachinko Slots. There are several youma destroying the area! I need everyone here ASAP!" She yelled and put her communicator into her pocket, before grabbing her Crisis Compact and shouting…

"Crisis, Make Up!"

Once fully transformed, she ran after Mars.

End Ch. 4

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter offered the first glimpse at the enemies in this story and of course Mamoru finally made an appearance. Expect a lot of fighting in the next chapter.


	5. Protector

Chapter 5 – Protector

* * *

Rei and Usagi ran in the direction everyone else was running from. They reached the end of the block and could hear the screaming getting louder, there were also fewer people running toward them. They were getting closer. When they turned the corner they were met by a horrifying sight. There were at least a dozen abandoned cars in the street, a couple of which were over-turned and in flames, but that wasn't what sickened the two girls who just arrived. There were several bloodied and mangled bodies lying on the ground. Among the dead lay a young boy who couldn't have been more than five, but still the monsters responsible for this massacre didn't differentiate man, woman, or child.

Usagi felt her stomach retch at the sight before her; she had to will herself not to lose her lunch, a battle that she barely won. The disgusted look on Rei's face gave way to anger as she tried figure out who was responsible for this needless killing. Her amethyst eyes hardened as they found themselves fixated on a group of six youma a short distance down the street. The path they took was clear, as they left nothing but destruction in their wake. Rei quickly pulled out her henshin stick and shouted her transformation phrase.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Usagi quickly swung her head around to look at the girl beside her, but only saw a streak of red zoom by her.

"Rei!" She called, but either she didn't hear her name being called or pretended not to, because she didn't react at all.

Usagi quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a round device. She pressed a couple buttons before speaking, "We've got trouble on…" Usagi looked around quickly for a street sign, "19th Street, near New Matsuya Pachinko Slots. There are several youma destroying the area! I need everyone here ASAP!" She yelled and put her communicator into her pocket, before grabbing her Crisis Compact and shouting…

"Crisis, Make Up!"

Once fully transformed, she ran after Mars.

'Geez…you could have at least waited for me…' Moon thought as she ran down her girlfriend.

* * *

"Fire Soul!"

Mars pointed her hand and the first youma she reached. The fire ball left her hand and flew straight into the back of its target. As soon as the attack connected the creature fell to the ground, drawing the attention of the four others walking near it. The four youma stopped and turned around to see what caused the other among them to end up face first on the ground. Once they'd all turned around their eyes locked with the Senshi of Fire. They stared at each other for a short time before Mars' gaze was drawn to the youma she'd hit with her attack. He was now in the process of getting up. When he stood up fully, he shook his head and patted his back a few times where the fire ball hit, before staring at the Senshi of Flame with a smile on his face. With her attention on one particular youma, another knelt down and slammed its fingers into the concrete, easily piercing the hard ground.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed another youma was doing something, though it looked as though he was simply kneeling, Mars readied herself. "I guess you need something stronger." She said and held out her right arm. Just as she was preparing to pull back the nearly invisible bow string, she felt the ground beneath her shake and lowered her arm. As soon as she changed from an offensive position, she could hear the kneeling youma say something…

"Foolish girl…"

Mars' eyes widened as she saw the pavement between her feet crack. She immediately performed a back flip to get herself away from her present position. As soon as she was in the air, she saw something shoot out of the ground. When she landed safely back on her feet, she again felt the ground shake, but this time she didn't waste anytime moving. She quickly flipped backwards once more and the same thing happened as it did before, something shot out of the ground. Once more when she touched back down, she could feel the ground moving beneath her. So, again she repeated as she'd done twice before three more times before she was able to land on steady ground.

Finally, given the opportunity to see exactly  _what_  was trying to strike at her from the ground, she saw five spear-like objects protruding from the concrete. After a moment, the sharp spikes sunk back into the ground, in reverse of how they appeared, but from where they had come from. Mars watched the youma carefully, but focused on the one kneeling on one knee.

The creature pulled its fingers out of the ground, "That was some good reflexes."

Mars opened her mouth to say something back, but was cut off by another voice before she could…

"Why did you run off before I could even transform?" Moon asked, finally catching up to her girlfriend.

Mars turned around partially and addressed the Moon Princess, "I knew you'd catch me and I wanted to see what kinds of monsters were responsible to that meaningless slaughter."

Moon put her hand on Mars' shoulder, "I'm angry too, but we do this together. I already called the others for help and they should be here soon."

Mars nodded and looked at Moon, "I'm sorry." She apologized as she stared into the other girl's eyes. After just a few moments though her attention was focused on the group of creatures before them, "It's good you called the others…these guys don't seem to be pushovers."

* * *

Minako sat up quickly and grabbed her communicator from the top of her desk. She listened intently to Usagi's call. When she said her location, she quickly mentally thought out the quickest route to her. Even as she thought about how reach Usagi, and surely Rei as well, she listened to everything else the Moon Princess said, though there wasn't much after her location, aside from her telling everyone to get down there. Once the transmission ended, Minako turned off her communicator and leapt off her bed.

"Looks like I will get to see some action today after all!" Minako announced cheerfully. She looked at Artemis to see his reaction, she frowned when she saw him looked at her warily. "I was just joking." She explained to the white cat.

"I knew you were…" He replied.

Minako shook her head, knowing differently. "I guess it doesn't matter one way or another, Usagi needs help and I'm not going to keep her waiting." She said and held her henshin stick above her head…

"Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Fully transformed, Venus looked down at the white cat sitting on her bed, "I'll be going now." The blond haired warrior said and without another word was out her window.

Artemis watched her leave before sighing, "Some guardian I am." He said to himself sarcastically.

* * *

Both Ami and Makoto stood up together from the love seat they sat on. Makoto quickly turned off the television and grabbed her keys from the coffee table in front of them. Ami took out her mini super computer and quickly typed something into the device, before hurrying after Makoto.

"Where's New Matsuya Pachinko Slots?" Makoto asked Ami as they headed for the front door.

"It's not too far here. It's actually near Mamoru's apartment." Ami stated.

Makoto quickly opened the door. Both girls exited the apartment and Makoto locked the door afterwards.

"Can your computer zero in on what we might be dealing with? Like how many enemies?" Makoto asked as they reached the side walk.

"Let me give it a shot…" Ami said and quickly typed a number of more buttons on the machine. She paused for a moment and waited for a response. After only a second or two, she got her answer, "It looks like there are five evil energy signatures near Usagi and Rei. A couple of them appear to be quite strong…" She added worriedly.

Makoto cursed silently, "We need to find some place out of the open to transform. It's five on two and if they are working together, it could be trouble for Rei and Usagi if none of us get there in time."

Ami nodded and quickly scanned the area for a good place from them to transform. "How about behind that building?" Ami asked pointing. She pointed to a nearby bar, "I don't believe they are open yet, so there shouldn't be anyone there to see us."

"Alright, let's go." Makoto said and quickly darted toward their destination. Once they arrived behind the building they took a quick look around the area and after finding no one in sight, they took out their henshin sticks.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Jupiter looked at Mercury for a second before saying, "Let's head there full speed, okay?"

Mercury nodded in agreement and in seconds both girls sped off to aid Rei and Usagi.

* * *

Haruka and Michiru both stood and took hold of their henshin sticks in their hands. Simultaneously they held the objects above their heads and called out their respective henshin phrases…

"Uranus Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
"Neptune Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Drive or run?" Uranus asked quickly.

"It's not far from here; we can get there quicker if we run."

Uranus nodded her head and sprinted out the door, with Neptune following closely behind. They were blocks away from the home in a matter of seconds. After a couple more blocks whizzed by Neptune spoke aloud a question that was on her mind since hearing Usagi's communication. "Do you think this has anything to do with…?" Neptune asked trailing off at the end, fully knowing that her lover would understand what she was talking about.

Uranus shook her head, "I'm not sure, but I'll be damned if I let anything happen to them."

* * *

Hotaru stared at her communicator for a second before looking at the girl sitting beside her, "I've got to go, Rei and Usagi are in trouble." The dark haired girl leapt down from the futon and before her feet even touched the ground Chibi-Usa called out to her.

"I'm coming with you!"

She had a feeling that was coming, but she was ready to counter the other girl quickly, "No you aren't. I'm not going to take you to a fight."

Chibi-Usa stood up now and stepped in front of Hotaru, "I thought Mama told you to stay with me. And if you leave without me, I'll follow you."

"Don't kid around…" Hotaru started to say, but was cut off before finishing.

"I'm not kidding around, I  _will_  follow you. So, it would be better to just take me along with you. Besides, I thought you said you could protect me from harm." The young pink haired girl countered.

"Of course, I'd protect you, but this isn't the same. I'd be taking you to a battlefield, things would be too chaotic and Usagi-san and Rei-san would kill me if I knowingly brought you to a fight especially since you can't transform." The dark haired girl said and lowered her head.

There was a silence between them for a short time before either girl spoke. Chibi-Usa lowered her head now, as she said, "I need to make sure they're safe."

Hotaru put her hand on Chibi-Usa's shoulder, causing her to look her in the eyes, "I'll make sure of that. I won't let them get hurt, I promise." She said and smiled at the end, causing the other girl do the same in return. However, Chibi-Usa's smile lasted a few short seconds before it faded…

"I know you will do your best, but I just…I just…" The pink haired princess bit her lower lip to control her emotions better. She didn't like how she felt about this fight; as soon as she heard her mother's frantic communication she didn't feel good about their fight. She just didn't know how to explain that easily to her new friend. She could feel her eyes fill with unwanted tears, more out of frustration than anything. She lowered her gaze; she didn't want the dark haired girl in front of her to see her like that.

"Fine…" Hotaru whispered quietly, almost so quietly the other girl in the room wasn't entirely sure she'd heard.

"What?"

Hotaru sighed, 'I hope I don't regret this…' she thought to herself before speaking aloud, "I'll take you with me, but there are some conditions you must follow…"

"Of course." Chibi-Usa said and nodded her head. She quickly wiped her eyes of any lingering wetness and focused on the girl's instructions.

"You have to listen to what I say and you have to promise me you'll stay out of sight." Hotaru said and looked at pink haired girl seriously.

"I will."

Hotaru nodded, "Let's get out of here then." She said and opened the door. "I'll tell Rei-san's grandfather something, so he's aware that we left."

* * *

"Be careful of the green one in the middle, he can do something with his fingers. He seems to be able to extend them a great length, plus they seemed to be quite sharp when he does it." Mars explained softly. "I'm not sure about the other four, because he was the only to attack me."

Moon nodded, "The numbers are on their side until the other girls arrive."

"We don't know how strong any of them are either." Mars remarked. She paused for a moment before whispering to her girlfriend, "I'm going to see if I can get some information out of them, like what they are doing here and if someone sent them here."

Mars took a step towards the group of youma, "What are you doing here?" She asked loudly, but was only met with laughter from a couple of the creatures. 'How about this?' The raven haired girl thought to herself. "Did someone send you here or are…?" Before she could finish her question she saw one of the youma raising his hand. After a second and ball of blue energy flew towards her and Moon.

"Fire Soul!"

Mars pointed her fingers at the oncoming attack and in a second a ball of fire left her fingers. Mars' attack sped at the youma's attack and in the blink of an eye; the two attacks collided loudly with each other, halfway between the two senshi and the youma. "I guess you guys aren't the talkative types."

"We have no reason to answer you." One of the youma said, Mars recognized him being the one to attack a few seconds ago.

"Surround them!" Another youma yelled as Mars had her attention on the bluish colored youma.

As soon as the orders left the youma's mouth, the other four ran to different positions and formed a circle around the two senshi. Mars and Moon stood back to back and observed the youma around them. Both girls watched as each of the youma seemed to be readying an attack.

"Do you have any ideas?" Mars asked Moon quietly.

Sailor Moon smiled momentarily, "One." She said and took a hold of Mars' hand, "Close your eyes." She instructed and with her other hand she took hold of her tiara.

"Moon Twilight Flash!"

In seconds the entire area was covered in a bright white light. Moon held Mars' hand tighter and suddenly pulled her as she ran away from their current position. After a couple seconds they stopped and Mars looked over to her girlfriend, with her eyes still closed and said, "Cool, let's try to take out at least one of them before they recover their senses."

"Who should we attack?" Moon asked.

"Let me see…" Mars said and focused on trying to read youma's aura. 'There has to be one that's weaker, even if it's only slightly…' She thought to herself. After a few moments she focused in on one of the creatures, she point at him, "That's the one."

Moon looked at the youma being pointed at and nodded, "All right."

"Don't hold back. We need to even these numbers a little." Mars whispered and quickly prepared her flaming bow in her hands. Sailor Moon summoned her kaleidoscope to her hand and readied her attack as well. "Okay…one…two…three."

"Mars Flame Sniper!"  
"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

The two attacks combined as the sailed toward the unsuspecting youma. It only took seconds for the attack to reach to youma and obliterate him almost immediately. At the same time, the light that covered the area began to dissipate. With their wits about them again, the youma looked around for the two senshi.

Mars looked as well to see their combined attack destroyed that youma without a problem. She looked over the shoulder to her girlfriend, "This might be easier than I thought…"

"Mars watch out!" Moon shouted.

Mars turned around and quickly put up her arms defensively in front of herself. She was surprised to feel a strong wind blow past her, yet not feel any attack. She lowered her arms and saw the back of someone in a dark blue senshi fuku.

"You owe me one for that, Mars." Uranus said and rested her talisman on her shoulder. A dark liquid was dripping off the blade she held. After a couple seconds, she turned around and faced Mars.

The senshi of fire smiled, "Thanks."

"It looks like we arrived just in time." Neptune said calmly as she stepped up next to Sailor Moon.

"Thank you for coming so quickly." The Moon Princess said and looked at the girl now standing beside her.

"There's still three more left and now there's four of us…" Mars started to say, when she was cut off.

"Make that five of us." A new voice said from behind the quartet of senshi.

Moon turned around and greeted the new arrival, "Venus!"

The senshi of love smiled walked up beside Neptune. "So those are the youma." She said and focused on the three creatures a short distance from them.

Mars nodded her head slightly, "Yeah, let's take these jerks out!"

"Hey, you weren't going to wait for us?" Asked another new arrival.

Mars smiled and took a quick glance at the brunette and blue haired girl who just arrived, "The more the merrier, Jupiter." She looked forward again and noticed the three youma becoming impatient, "It looks like these guys are itching to get going again."

"So, how are we going to do this? Split up into groups?" Venus asked.

"I want the one in the middle." Mars stated calmly.

"Then Rei and I will fight him. We haven't seen any of the other one's abilities; expect the one in the middle. Does your computer give you any information, Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked and looked to the blue haired girl in their group.

After a couple seconds Mercury shook her head, "Not really, it seems to read all three of them as being very strong, but that's it."

"Michiru and I can take the one on the left. I don't like the way he's been looking at me." Uranus said and glared back at the youma.

"I guess that leaves the one on the right to us." Venus said and looked at Jupiter and Mercury.

"Alright let's do this then…" Mars said and charged at the youma at the center of the group, followed closely by Sailor Moon. In moments, the other senshi ran at the youma that were determined to be their opponents.

* * *

Saturn stopped abruptly. Chibi-Usa was so focused as she ran that she barely had enough time to stop. She almost collided with the dark haired girl, but stopped herself just in time.

"This is no good. I'm not getting there fast enough." The young senshi muttered quietly. Keeping her pace slow enough for the future princess to keep up with was severely hampering her ability to reach Usagi and Rei in a quick fashion. 'I need to quicken my pace, but I can't if Chibi-Usa is to keep up with me as well.' She thought about it for a second, before coming up with only one solution. She turned around and looked at her companion.

"I need to go faster." Saturn stated simply.

As soon as Chibi-Usa heard those words she was about to offer up an argument about why she shouldn't send her back. Before she could say anything she was caught off guard by the request from the senshi before her.

Saturn turned her eyes to the ground as she spoke, "W-Would it be alright if I carry you?" She looked at the other girl for her approval. She immediately noticed the surprised look on the other girl's face, so she quickly explained her reasoning. "I need to speed up, but I can't do that and expect you to keep up with me. I could take you back to the jinja, but that would be counter productive and I already told you I'd take you so…"

"It's alright…you can carry me. This is the fast way you can get to my parents with me, right?" The pink haired girl asked. After a second, Saturn nodded in response. "Then let's do it."

Saturn nodded once more and stepped closer to the other girl before crouching down in front of her. In one swift movement she picked the future princess up effortlessly and held her firmly against herself 'bridal style'.

Chibi-Usa could feel her cheeks warm at the way she was being held. She was also surprised how strong, yet gentle the other girl was. She wasn't much taller than herself and while she didn't look that muscular, she clearly was stronger than she looked. She felt surprisingly comfortable in Saturn arms. She didn't know what to make of that, so she simply chalked it up how protectively the other girl held her.

"Ready?" Saturn asked and looked the girl in her arms. Despite the low light as dusk was settling in, she could clearly see the light pink that adorned her cheeks had become clear shade of red. She didn't give a verbal confirmation, but shook her head affirmatively. "I'm going to go full speed, so prepare yourself…" Saturn cautioned and upon receiving another nod from the girl in her arms, she announced her intention of to begin her full sprint. "Off we go." Saturn kicked off the ground and in a moment they were zooming past everything around them. Cars seemed to be standing still as they didn't even come close to matching the Sailor Senshi's speed.

At first the movement was jarring to Chibi-Usa's senses. She couldn't remember ever moving this fast in her life. She'd been carried by her mother before in her transformed stated, but she was never running a full speed. It was a rush but also a little frightening. She unconsciously felt herself grab Saturn's arm tightly.

"I'm not going to let you go."

The pink haired girl took a deep breath when she heard the other girl's reassuring words. As she released her long breath she felt more at ease. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the Senshi of death and rebirth.

* * *

Both Uranus and Neptune stopped short of reaching their target and held their hands above their heads.

"World Shaking!"  
"Deep Submerge!"

They watched as their attacks both flew toward the youma, but still he didn't make much of an effort to move. Just before he was hit he raised his hand up. Instead of destroying him, the attacks just disappeared. He had his hands closed and looked a little strained for a minute, before a smile crossed his lips. He opened his hands and in that instant, two blast of energy left his hands, one yellow and one blue. The two senshi quickly split up and leapt away from the oncoming attack.

"That felt like our attacks." Neptune said as she looked over to her lover.

Uranus nodded, "I felt that too." She said and paused for a moment, "Let's do this another way then. If he's going to return our attacks, we'll just need to beat him into submission." Neptune nodded in return and the two senshi again charged the youma with the intention of fighting him in hand to hand combat.

* * *

Moon and Mars stopped in front of their opponent. Mars looked at her girlfriend for a second, "Don't forget to beware of his hands."

The Moon Princess nodded at the warning. "So what's our plan?"

"I'm going to distract him from the front, while you get behind him and attack him from there." Mars explained.

Sailor Moon looked at the raven haired girl hesitantly, clearly not entirely liking the 'plan'. "That would mean you'd draw all of his attention."

Mars smiled and took the other girl's hand in her own, "Don't worry, I've fought tougher guys than him. This'll be cinch." The raven haired girl assured her girlfriend. She squeezed her hand gently before releasing it and charging the youma.

The blond haired senshi shook her head slightly as she ran to flank the youma, 'I don't doubt your confidence…' she thought to herself as she watched Mars out of the corner of her eye as she continue to head to a position behind the youma. She just landed a clean blow to the side of the creature's head, sending him staggering a little. She tried to kick him in the chest, but the youma blocked her attack with his arm. Moon came to a stop and grabbed a hold of her tiara. She saw the youma rear back his fist, it was then she took the golden object off her head.

"Moon Tiara Magic!"

Moon called out her attack and threw the glowing disk like a frisbee. The disk flew true to her aim and sliced across the back of the youma. The injury was by no means a mortal blow, but it certainly appeared to be painful, as the youma quickly dropped to his knees and grabbed his back.

The youma looked over his shoulder to the senshi responsible for the wound on his back, "Why you little…"

"Keep your eyes on me." Mars said and quickly pointed her fingers at the youma's face.

"Fire Soul!"

The ball of fire left her fingertips in seconds and struck the creature in the face before he could even offer up a defense. Mars jumped back a little to avoid any friendly fire from her own attack. She could feel Moon step up next to her, "Is he finished?"

"I doubt it…" Mars began saying when she saw a ball of red energy sailing toward them. She put up her hand to fire her own attack to counter the other, when someone yelled something behind her.

"Silence Wall!"

The two senshi looked behind them to see, the youngest senshi holding her glaive above her head, creating a dome of black energy. The youma in front of them looked confused by the barrier stopping his attack. He lowered his hand and kicked the barrier, but that didn't accomplish anything as he felt his foot being pushed back.

"Saturn, I thought you were going to stay at the shrine." Mars asked.

"I thought I might be needed here." Saturn said quietly.

"That didn't come out how I wanted it to…" The senshi of fire said and sighed.

Moon stepped up to her girlfriend and put her hand on her shoulder, "I think Rei was trying to say that she's glad you're here, but what about Chibi-Usa."

"Well, she's…"

"That barrier is annoying…" The youma said and crouched down.

Mars' eyes widened, she'd seen that stance before. "Lower your shield! I won't let this bastard have his way again."

Saturn lowered her Silence Glaive and lowered the barrier around them at the same time. The senshi of death and rebirth watched Mars charge the youma, with Moon following closely. 'It doesn't appear they need my help.' She thought and looked at the other fights going on. After a moment, she ran over to join her foster parents in their fight.

* * *

Atop one of the taller buildings lining the street above the battle stood a tall figure, whose appearance was that of a very shady individual. The figure was hidden almost completely beneath a cloak, though his face wasn't covered. He leaned over the edge of the building and focused his attention on the newest arrival.

"I don't believe I'm familiar with that one." He remarked to himself quietly.

He'd done surveillance of palace from time to time and had seen all present except for the girl that just showed up. He doubted it before, but was now sure after watching them since the fight began, the blond with pig tails who Mars referred to as Sailor Moon, was indeed Queen Serenity. This perplexed him, but that accounted for everyone expect for the brat's guardians, but he didn't expect to see them. He stared intently at the dark haired girl, but shook his head a short time latter. "I'll have to ask Heliodor about her…"

* * *

"Let's see what this thing can take…" Venus said and pointed two fingers at him.

"Crescent Beam!"

He didn't make any attempt to dodge and the three senshi didn't know if that meant he was crazy or he was planning something. They got their answer within a couple seconds as he held up his hand, his palm wide open, and took the concentrated energy beam in his hand. However, something strange happened then, because instead of the attack burning a hole through his hand, the beam changed direction and harmlessly struck the ground to his right.

"Mercury, what the heck was that?" The blond haired warrior asked her friend over her shoulder.

The blue haired genius quickly began typing on her computer, "I don't know….it appears that he emitted some kind of repulsive energy from his hand."

"How about this then?" Jupiter asked and ran up to the youma and threw a right hook at his face. He ducked the attempted strike, but Jupiter followed her first attack with a quick open palm uppercut to the monster chin. He wasn't able to dodge this blow and took it full force. He staggered back and nearly lost his balance until he grabbed the senshi's arm in front of him. As soon as he regained his stability, he pulled the brunette's arm and brought her closer, before quickly clothes-lining her to the ground.

"Jupiter!" Mercury yelled and ran over to aid her girlfriend.

"Shabon Spray!"

A cold mist surrounded the youma, as well as left him in near zero visibility. Both Venus and Mercury to this opening to help Jupiter to safety, they ran over and grabbed the senshi of nature. They helped her get a short distance away before Jupiter spoke.

The brunette, "I'm fine." She said and wiped her mouth with her hand, she looked her glove for moment and saw a streak of on the normally white glove, "He's not too shabby at close combat either…"

"There's no way he can repel all three of our attacks at once. He only has two hands." Venus stated and looked at her friends, who nodded in agreement.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"  
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"  
"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"

The three attacks sailed at the creature, each on target. As expected, the youma held out his hands and was able to direct both Venus' and Mercury's attack away from himself, but was struck by Jupiter's attack. The electrified leafs pierced him in several areas, though nowhere looked to be fatal. He remained standing initially, but soon he dropped to a knee. Mercury's attack was directed a short distance away, though out of harms way. Venus' attack however, sailed into a nearby building, hitting it near the roof line. Several pieces of brick and concrete fell from the building as Venus' attack struck it. As the bricks made their way the ground a scream could be heard near the building, followed by a pink haired girl jumping away from the debris, on to the street. She got everyone's attention as soon as she stood up and revealed who she was.

"Chibi-Usa!" Saturn yelled as she saw the girl barely escape the dangerous rain of rocks. She tried to move to the girl, but youma that she and her fellow outer soldiers were fighting held out his arm stopping her. "Get out of my way!" She yelled and spun her Silence Glaive in her hand for a second before slashing at the youma's arm. He quickly with drew his arm before it could be sliced off, but he didn't come away unscathed. While he didn't lose his arm, he did receive a vicious cut to his bicep which seemed to render that arm useless anyway.

"What are you…?" Moon started to ask, but before she finished her question, the youma she and Mars were fighting suddenly disappeared. Both girls looked around to see where he went. In what seemed like just a few seconds, the youma appeared near Chibi-Usa. The future princess stared wide-eyed at the youma looming over her. The bulky creature grabbed her arm before she had a chance to run.

He bent down and whispered, "I think I recognize you…"

Chibi-Usa's eyes widened and she tried to free her arm, "Let me go!"

"Get away from her!" Sailor Moon yelled at youma, drawing the attention of the other senshi. Mars ran at the youma, but she was far from the closest senshi to Chibi-Usa at the moment.

Saturn saw the youma grab the Chibi-Usa and glared at the creature. Without a moment's hesitation, she ran to the girl's defense, leaving Uranus and Neptune. She could see out of corner of her eye that Mars was on her way too, but she was closer and she'd be damned if she let anything happen to her after she was the one that brought her to this battle despite her misgivings. She charged ahead harder and in moments she reached them. She jumped into the air and held her Silence Glaive above her head, having every intention of slicing off the youma arm.

The youma heard movement to his left and one of warriors coming at him with their weapon. He quickly let go of the pink haired girl's arm before his arm could be severed. "Get out of my way, girl!"

Saturn pulled her glaive out of the ground and stood protectively in of the future princess. Even with her standing there, she could see the youma extending its hand toward the pink haired girl again. She held her weapon defensively in front of herself, blocking the youma's hand with the pole of her Silence Glaive. "Who do you think you're going after?" Saturn yelled and held the pole more firmly as she felt the creature trying to push her back.

Mars' eyes widened at the position the youma had the younger senshi in without her even knowing it, "Saturn, watch out for his…!" Before Mars could finish her warning, her fears were realized.

Everyone looked on horror as the youma's fingers suddenly extended and pierced the young senshi in the chest.

"Saturn!" The group of senshi yelled together.

Mars quickly manifested her flaming bow in her hands and let loose her strongest attack…

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

As soon as Mars called out her attack another was called out moments later…

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Mars' attack tore threw the youma's hand that were still imbedded in Saturn's, separating her from the creature. While Uranus attack shredded what was left of the youma's arm. The youma fell to the ground holding what was left of its arm. The tall blond haired senshi looked back at Neptune and saw her holding her talisman and the youma they had been battling, fall to the ground. "Sailor Moon, finish off this creep!" Uranus called.

Moon stepped even with Mars and nodded before summoning her kaleidoscope to her hand again. She thrust the object forward, toward the youma, and called out her attack.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Moon's attacked left her kaleidoscope and hit the youma almost instantly. Seconds after taking her strongest attack, the youma was reduced to nothing more than dust.

* * *

"Damn it, we can't be stuck fighting this guy while there's real trouble over there…" Venus said and held her hand above her head.

"Venus Wink Chain Sword!"

Venus gripped the blade's handle tightly and sped at the youma they were engaged with. Youma smiled at her as she charged and she could hear Jupiter and Mercury questioning her actions, but she knew what she was doing. "I know you can deflect energy attacks, but you won't be able to deflect this!" She said and raised her sword above her head.

"Foolish girl, just try it!" The youma said proudly and held his hand above his head, readying to block her attack.

Venus continued to charge with her sword above her head. When she was just a little more than an arm's length away, she quickly changed the position of her sword and in the same motion slashed the blade across the youma's exposed midsection. He immediately hunched over and held his stomach, trying to steam the blood flow.

"Jupiter! Mercury! Finish this thing off!"

Both girls looked a little surprised at first, but quickly came to their senses and called out their attacks.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

The two attacks struck the youma simultaneously. Without being able to use his hands to deflect their attacks, they consumed him, leaving nothing but dust behind.

* * *

"H-Hotaru…?" Chibi-Usa asked the other girl's name cautiously.

Saturn dropped to her knees and dropped her Silence Glaive on the ground. She hunched forward and braced herself with her left arm. She attempted to reach up to remove the monster's hand with her free hand, but felt a tingling sensation in her arm. She stared at her limb and almost laughed at her misfortunes, "Poison…in its fingers…" She grimaced as she forced her arm to reach up. She shut her eyes and grabbed what was left of the youma's hand before quickly removing it and tossing it to the side. As soon as she threw the hand away she slumped forward towards the ground.

Chibi-Usa ran up behind the dark haired and grabbed her, preventing her from hitting the ground. As soon as her hands touched Saturn's chest, she felt a slick and warm liquid. She pulled one of her hand away, but continued to support her with the other. She looked at her free hand and gasped horror…blood. She quickly laid the girl on her back and looked around from help, "Mama, where are you?" She looked back at new friend and saw she was no longer transformed and was now breathing heavily. It was moments later when she found them to be surrounded by all the senshi.

Chibi-Usa could see Mercury furiously typing on her computer, "She said there was poison in the youma's hand before she…"

After a few seconds Mercury spoke, confirming what was just said, "She's right. There's a very potent poison attacking her body right now."

"Heal her Mama! You have to heal her!" Chibi-Usa called over her shoulder to Sailor Moon.

Moon looked surprised by the younger girl's request. She'd never healed anyone before, but what choice did she have? Saturn was always the one to heal everyone's injuries, but now she was in need of healing. Moon nodded, "I'll try, but I don't really know what to do." She admitted.

"The Ginzuishou." Chibi-Usa said quickly drawing everyone's attention. "I don't really know how…I've seen you do it once…but I know you can do it!"

'The Ginzuishou…' Moon thought and placed her left hand over her compact. She tried to hold it firmly, but her hand still shook against her will. She paused for a moment when she felt a hand covering her free one. She looked to her left and saw Mars smiling back at her.

"You can do this." Mars told her confidently and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Remember, I told you your mother did something similar for me before."

Moon smiled back, until she heard Hotaru moan. She took a deep breath and opened the compact on her chest, undoing her transformation. 'Please Ginzuishou give me a little help here…' She said in her mind to the crystal. The crystal shone bright after her silent request and she held her hands over her injured friend. She stayed like that for a short time, before the light faded and Usagi dropped her arms tiredly. Mars, who remained next to her the entire time, put her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and supported her.

"You did good." Mars whispered and smiled at her love. No sooner had the words left her mouth then signs of life returned to Hotaru.

_Cough_   _Cough_

"Hotaru!" Chibi-Usa called to the young teen.

She coughed a couple more times, before slowly opening her eyes. Hotaru slowly reached up and touched her chest carefully. As soon as she touched herself, she could tell that she'd somehow been healed. Her wounds were closed, though she still felt like hell.

"We should take her to a hospital to make sure…" Michiru began to say but was interrupted by a hand on her arm.

"It's alright…I'm fine. I can heal myself…" Hotaru said quietly as she tried to sit up, but felt a hand gently, but firmly holding her down.

"Don't move yet." Haruka said quietly.

Ami closed her mini computer and looked at the injured girl, "While I don't doubt you can probably heal yourself, I think it'd be a better idea to relax and not stress your body further." She said seriously.

"Yeah, Usagi wore herself out just healing you this far." Makoto said and gestured over to the blonde leaning heavily on Rei.

Hotaru's eyes focused on Usagi, "Usagi-san…did…"

The Moon Princess smiled warmly as she met the younger girl's eyes, "I'm glad…I was able to…help you, Hotaru-chan."

Rei tightened her hold on her girlfriend slightly before saying, "You gave all of us quite a scary."

The avatar of Saturn closed eyes for a second, "I'm sorry."

"I think we're all just relieved that you're okay." Minako said, speaking for the group.

"Is Chibi-Usa…?" Hotaru asked softly.

"I'm fine." The pink haired girl said to her left quietly. Hotaru looked over to the other girl and inspected her for herself before nodding ever so slightly. Chibi-Usa lowered her head, "Thank you for saving me." She whispered to the other girl.

"Let's get you looked at by a doctor." Haruka said and quickly crouched down and lifted up the smaller girl easily. Everyone began to follow after the tall blond as soon as she started walking away from the scene.

"Minatoku Hospital isn't very far and my mother's on working tonight, so we should be able to get in fast." Ami said, pointing the direction of the hospital.

Rei was about to pick up Usagi, when she shook her head, "I should be okay to walk. I don't want them to think they have two patients to attend to."

Rei nodded and looked to her left to see Chibi-Usa, still sitting on the ground, "We'll get left behind if we don't get a move on." The raven haired priestess sighed when the only reply she got was a slow nod of her head. "It's not your fault." Those words made the other girl look at her, "I know that sounds hollow, but it's true. I would have done the same thing. As would Usagi." Rei laughed a little as she said, "I think it's hardwired into our brains to protect those we care about, even if that means we end up hurt in the process."

"If could transform…"

"There's no good that will come of thinking of what-ifs. Believe me." Usagi said and looked down for moment before adding, "I know from experience how you are feeling right now, but Rei is right. What happened to Hotaru isn't your fault."

"But if I didn't insist on coming here…"

Usagi cut off her daughter before she could finish, "If you weren't here, Hotaru could have been hurt protecting me or Rei or Haruka or Michiru or anyone else here. What you should focus on is because you _were_  here; you told me how to help her. If you wouldn't have been here something far worse could have happened." Usagi stood up with the help of Rei and walked over to pink haired 'teen' and offered her hand, "Come on, I'm sure Hotaru is wondering why you aren't with everyone else and I'm sure she wouldn't want you blaming yourself."

Chibi-Usa smiled a little and took her mother's hand. Once she was standing all three girls began to slowly catch up the rest of their group.

End Ch. 5

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to break up the fights a bit by adding in some Hotaru/Chibi-Usa scenes. The final scene was also one of my favorite to write so far for this story.


	6. Calculating Threat

Chapter 6 – Calculating Threat

* * *

Heliodor sat on a small wooden bench and watched the opening to his tent closely with his hand on his chin. He'd gone over different scenarios in his head about what may be transpiring, 'What strength did they possess at that time?' he thought to himself. He couldn't imagine they were stronger than they currently are, but if they proved to be just as strong, that would be problematic as well. After a few more seconds of sitting alone with his thoughts, he saw out of the corner of his eye that someone had entered his tent. Heliodor looked up, causing the intruder to speak.

"Excuse my intrusion, but I've returned and I believe you'd like that know what occurred in the battle." Nabesite said cautiously, with a bowed head.

Heliodor stood and walked toward the tent's entrance, "And you'd be right. What did you see? What can I expect from them?"

He nodded, "I recognized all the royal guard, plus four other warriors. Of the three other warriors, I could identify two of them as being from the outer guard. There is however one I've never seen…but she seemed overly protective of the Princess, she took a blow for the Princess."

Heliodor paced the ground in his tent. 'This might be a harder task than I originally thought…' One of his hands went up to his chin, he tapped it thoughtfully. He stopped and looked at his companion strangely, "You said there were four other warriors…who was the fourth?"

"That's another thing that was strange…" The creature in front of him said, drawing his attention.

He stopped pacing, "Continue." Heliodor said and waited to hear what else his scout saw.

"Queen Serenity was among those fighting and as far as I'm aware she has never fought or transformed into a warrior. Assuming she lost that ability at some point for some reason, that still leaves that unknown girl. I did hear her being referred to as Saturn by them though."

"…Saturn?" Heliodor said aloud and strained his memory for knowledge of a warrior called that, however he came up blank. 'She is named after one of the planets, same as the others…' He thought to himself, though he was unfamiliar with any warrior calling themselves Saturn. While he didn't know anything about her abilities, having another enemy only made things more difficult. He shut his eyes for a moment before asking the question that had been on his mind before Nabesite had returned, "How did they fair against the shades I sent?"

"They dispatched them with relative ease. Once they determined what their abilities were, they didn't have much trouble. From everything I observed, I can say with certainty that we face a significant force defending the Princess. I'm afraid to say that unless we find a way to lure her away from them, it'll be nearly impossible to acquire the Princess with that level of attack."

"That is troublesome…" Heliodor thought aloud and paced over to the opposite side of his tent. He sat down and looked at Nabesite, who was still standing where Heliodor left him, awaiting instructions. "You may leave, Nabesite. I have to think about a couple things." The handsome looking young man told his companion, who quickly turned on his heel and left.

Heliodor leaned back and ran his hand threw his long hair, 'What he says is true, it'll be impossible to fight the royal guard plus the outer guard plus a transformed Queen Serenity plus an unknown warrior. I don't want to ask for any of  _their_  help, but I may not have a choice…'

* * *

The closely knit group of girls sat in the waiting area of the emergency room at Minatoku Hospital. When they arrived with Hotaru, they had explained that she suffered from a fainting episode, as she had a history of. So now every simply waited to hear how the younger girl was doing. Michiru and Haruka sat next to each, beside them sat Rei, Usagi, and Chibi-Usa. The five girls filled up one section of chairs, so the remainder of their group, Ami, Makoto, and Minako, sat in the next section of chairs that was positioned 90 degrees in relation to where the other girls sat.

There was little said among the girls since they arrived when Minako voiced her thoughts, "I don't like that it was a group."

Everyone turned their attention to the leader of Princess' bodyguard, each knowing what Minako's statement suggested. None of the other girls immediately said anything, not because they didn't agree, but saying it out loud would be really confirming it.

"Neither do I." Rei agreed after a few seconds. "They don't normally act in groups unless someone is pulling their strings."

Chibi-Usa shifted slightly in her seat beside Usagi. The monster that hurt Hotaru recognized her, she was sure of that and that worried her. If he recognized her that meant he was from her time and if that was case, that could only mean that she'd brought  _them_  after her parents in this time. Unless they were after the girl that was pretending to be her… The pink haired girl bit her lower lip, 'I can't believe  _they_ could have tracked me to the past. If  _they_  could have done that, why wouldn't  _they_  have attacked them in past already? They aren't protected with the same kind of security in this time.' She questioned herself, though she couldn't come up with a reason that made any sense, except that these monsters had something to do with the girl pretending to be her.

"You don't think we already have another enemy on our hands do, you?" Usagi asked as she turned her head to look at her girlfriend.

Rei met her girlfriend's gaze as she said, "I hope it isn't, but…" The raven haired girl trailed off, but smiled slightly when she felt Usagi's hand cover her own.

"I really hope we're all just being overly cautious." Ami said quietly.

"So do I babe." Makoto whispered to her girlfriend.

" _If_  there is someone behind this group,  _if_  someone plotting something, there's one thing I know…" Haruka said and paused for a moment before adding, "We'll find out soon…"

"Tenoh-san? And Kaioh-san?"

The two outer soldiers immediately stood and walked over Mizuno-san together. They stood off from the other girls in their group as they spoke to the doctor. The group was silent the entire duration of the conversation.

"So, how is she doing?" Michiru asked as soon as the reached the older woman.

Ami's mother smiled as she said, "She's doing just fine. I would like to run a few more test though and have her stay over night for observation."

Haruka nodded, "Thank you for looking at her."

"I actually wasn't the doctor assigned to her, but when I saw Hotaru-chan's name in our computer as a newly emitted patient, I recognized her name as being a friend of Ami's. So, I decided to take a look at her charts and make sure there was nothing serious going on." Miss Mizuno explained.

Michiru smiled warmly as she said, "Well, we appreciate it. And if she's going to be staying the night, do you think it would be alright if we did as well?"

"I don't see that being a problem, I'll just call up to the room she's in." Doctor Mizuno said and walked over to a nearby phone.

Haruka walked back to the group, while Michiru stayed and waited for Miss Mizuno to finish the call. As soon as she reached the group, Haruka was met by six questioning pairs of eyes. "She fine as far as they can tell, but they want her to stay over night for observation, but she should be fully healed by then or at least close I would imagine."

"That's good to hear." Usagi said, voicing the group's collective opinion.

"I'm glad." Chibi-Usa whispered, prompting Usagi to hold her future daughter's hand.

Ami saw Michiru making her over, "I'll be back in a few minutes. I want to talk to my mother about something." The blue haired girl said and stood up before hurrying over to her mother before she could leave. "Mom, can I talk to you for a moment?" Ami asked, slightly nervous to her mother's surprise.

"Sure." Miss Mizuno said and led her daughter a short ways down the hall. Once they reached a quiet spot, the elder Mizuno turned to the blue haired teen, "What is it, Ami?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're still off tomorrow night, right?" Ami asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Miss Mizuno asked in return.

The blue haired genius looked down as she said, "I-I was wondering if we could make dinner and eat together…and if it would be okay if I brought someone over…"

The older woman tried to hide her surprise, but did so poorly, "W-Well that would be just fine. Do I know this someone already?"

Ami nodded her head slightly, though kept her line of sight downward as she said, "Y-Yes."

Miss Mizuno looked at her daughter curiously, "Alright, I'll do my best to be home then. I am chief of staff, so if an emergency comes up will still have to go in to work, but I'll make every effort to be home tomorrow."

Ami finally looked up and smiled, "I understand mom, thank you." The blue haired girl said happily before hurrying back to her friends.

Miss Mizuno shrugged her shoulders at her daughter's unusually behavior, but she couldn't help but allow her curiosity get the better of her as she thought about who her daughter would be bringing over and why she was so nervous about it….

* * *

The group waited patiently for Ami to rejoin them. After a few minutes, a yawn escaped Minako's lips, causing her to mutter a quick apology, "Sorry. It's getting kinda late. I should probably be heading home." She said and stood up as Ami returned.

"Sorry about that guys, I just needed to ask my mother something." The avatar of Mercury said and moved to sit down next to Makoto again. Makoto had her hand on the chair's armrest and Ami instinctively took it in her own hand once she was seated. She noticed her blonde friend to her left was standing, "Are you leaving Minako?"

"Yeah, my bed is calling my name." Minako said and stretched, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Everyone said their goodbyes and watched the blonde leave. No more than ten minutes later, Makoto drew the group's attention, after whispering something in Ami's ear, "We should leave to." Ami nodded her head in agreement. "We'll see you tomorrow." Makoto said for both of the girls. Once more they receives farewells from the remainder of the group before leaving as well.

The group having been reduce nearly in half had grown quiet once more, until the future Princess spoke. Chibi-Usa lifted her head, "I-Is it okay if I stay here?" She asked as she looked to her left where Rei and Usagi sat together, beside her. The two girls looked at each other to see what each thought of the pink haired girl's suggestion. After their silent exchange Usagi finally spoke, "I don't know if…"

"We could look after her." A voice suggested, causing both Rei and Usagi to look in its direction. "Haruka and I were already planning on spending the night, so she can stay with us." Michiru offered.

The two girls turned to each other once more, Rei shrugged her shoulders, if Haruka and Michiru were staying there would be someone to keep an eye on her. Usagi then shrugged her shoulders as well, "Well, I guess if she isn't going to be by herself, then it's okay."

"Thank you, mama." Chibi-Usa said and got up. The pink haired girl walked to Usagi and hugging her, before stepping over to Rei and hugging her as well as whispering thanks to her.

"We should probably leave too then." Rei said as she looked over to her girlfriend. It took a moment for her to nod in response. Both girls stood up and prepared to leave.

Usagi looked at the two older women, "Message us if Hotaru gets discharged, otherwise we'll be here after school."

"We will." Haruka acknowledged.

Usagi smiled her thanks before focusing on her future daughter, "Be good for Haruka and Michiru-san, Chibi-Usa."

"I will." The pink haired girl promised.

"We'll see you after school tomorrow." Rei said to three girls remaining at the hospital.

"Okay, we will let both of you know if anything changes." Michiru said with a smile.

With that, Usagi and Rei started to make their exit when the blond haired member of the duo paused, causing Rei to do the same. "I still have my backpack at the shrine." Usagi said upon receiving a confused look.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I guess we'll have to stop there first." Rei said and took her girlfriend's hand as they worked out of the hospital.

* * *

"I talked to my mom…" Ami said cautiously.

"I saw, what about?" Makoto asked and looked at her blue haired companion.

"About dinner…I told her to expect a guest Friday." Ami said in a tone Makoto couldn't quite place.

"You're still sure about this, right? About me officially meeting your mother."

"Of course!" Ami said firmly, before adding, "It's just my mother and I haven't really talked much about relationships and I won't just be bringing home my significant other, I'll be bringing home a girl." She paused for a second and took a deep breath. "I mean she's never voiced any dislike for homosexuals, but.."

Makoto sighed and cut off her girlfriend before she could continue that train of thought, "Ames, you know your mother better than I do, but from everything I've seen from her, I don't think she'd reject you if that's what you're thinking."

Ami silently thought about her girlfriend's words. She knew that her fears were probably irrational, but she couldn't stop them from creeping into her thoughts, especially now that she spoke to her mother about having someone over. Her love's words did offer her some comfort though, "Thanks. I know I'm probably overthinking this. I'm just nervous." The blue haired girl admitted.

Makoto put her arm over the shorter girl's shoulder and held her close as they continued to walk, "I understand the nervous part. I want to make a good impression on your mother…" She paused when she received a look from her girlfriend, "I know you say that she'll love me, but I'm still worried that I'll say or do something to embarrass myself."

"You'll be fine. You don't have anything to worry about." Ami assured the other girl.

Makoto smiled and squeezed her girlfriend's shoulder for a moment, "Thanks. I think as long as we are there for each other everything will work out just fine."

Ami gave a quick nod, "Yeah, I think so too."

The two girls continued on in silence for a short while before the taller girl broke in with a question, "What kind of food does your mother like?"

The blue haired genius tapped her fore finger to her chin as she thought, "She enjoys curry with steamed rice."

"Great! I'll make that for dinner then. We can go shopping after school tomorrow to buy the ingredients." Makoto said, already making a mental note of everything she would need to buy.

"Are you sure? You don't have to cook, you'll be my guest."

"Ami, I love cooking, it'll be my way of taking some of the pressure off of you. Besides, I expect you to help too." The tall brunette said with a wide smile before coming to a stop.

Ami stopped and hugged her girlfriend, "You're awesome, you know that?"

Makoto nodded her head, "Yeah, but it's great to hear it from you." She said and leaned down and gave the other girl a quick kiss on her lips. She pulled back slightly and whispered, "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

The avatar of Mercury nodded and took a small step back, "Yeah, see you tomorrow." She then turned around and started to make her way to her apartment complex. Makoto watched her until she reached to door to get inside, once she did, she turned and waved goodbye. The brunette did the same before waiting a few more seconds and continue on to her own apartment.

* * *

"I got an idea!" Usagi exclaimed excitedly and stopped to look over to her girlfriend.

Rei laughed a little before asking, "What's your idea?"

"Why don't I just spend the night over at the jinja? I mean it's already pretty late and we have to go over to there anyway to pick up my stuff, so why walk all the way back here?" Usagi asked, more rhetorically than anything.

"I'd love that, but there's only one problem with that..." Rei trailed off.

Usagi sighed, "It's a school night."

The raven haired girl nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, and you know you'd have to ask your parents' permission. I'm sure Jii-chan wouldn't mind, but your parents might not like the idea. They're probably not ecstatic about you being out as late as you already are."

The blonde lowered her head, "Probably not, but it's worth a shot."

Rei smiled, "You'll just have to call them when we get to the jinja, but let's get going or we'll never get there to call them."

Usagi nodded her head quickly, "You're right, we'll never get there if we just stand here…" She said and pulled the other girl down the sidewalk with her.

Rei smiled even wider as her girlfriend pulled her along enthusiastically. She quick sped up her pace for match Usagi's quick strides, not wanting to fall down from being pulled. Usagi was going on about the prospect of being able to spend the night. Rei, for her part didn't say much aside from the occasional chuckle at her girlfriend's enthusiasm. After a while Usagi slowed down and looked back to at Rei to see why she was being so quiet, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just happy…" Rei said simply. She was positive she was wearing a stupid grin on her face, but she didn't really care. They were the only people out as far as the eye could see and she felt freer to express herself than she would have otherwise. They still held each other's hand, though Usagi wasn't pulling her anymore. Rei squeezed the other girl's hand slightly before letting it go and draping her arm around the shorter girl's shoulders.

Usagi smiled and wrapped her arm around Rei waist, allowing herself to walk closer to the raven haired girl.

Rei smiled as well and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of the blonde pressed so close to her. They seemed to fit together perfectly, like they were meant to be in each other's arms. The moment was so peaceful, but a nagging thought continued to pester her mind. It was something that she'd been thinking about almost constantly since earlier that morning. She really didn't want to sacrifice the current mood that they'd established, but now that she wasn't distracted by other things like fighting youma or worrying about Hotaru, her mind was free to travel back to where it had been focused on most of the day. There was no sense hiding her thoughts from her girlfriend, so she made the decision to tell the other girl what was on her mind. "Can I talk to you about something, Usa?"

"Sure, what is it?" Usagi asked and looked over to her girlfriend intently.

Rei bit her lower lip nervously, "Chibi-Usa…"

The Moon Princess cocked her head to the side slightly as she asked, "What do you mean? What about her?"

The miko took a deep breath, "There's something she's holding back from us…"

"What makes you say that?"

Rei shifted slightly, so she could look her girlfriend in her eyes, "Last night, or actually this morning, she woke up from a nightmare. She didn't want to say anything and I didn't want to pressure her to say anything, but I was able to gather a little bit of insight because she said a couple things in her sleep." She paused for a moment, "She was worried about someone being hurt and she seemed relieved that I was safe, but quickly she tried to backtrack from what she said when she realized where she was."

Usagi's looked at the girl beside her thoughtfully, "That is strange…it might be best if we ask her what's going on in the future."

Rei nodded her head in agreement, "That's what I was thinking, but I'm not really sure  _what_  to ask. I know if Setsuna were here…" The raven haired girl trailed off, not entirely sure how to finish that statement without bringing up memories neither girl wished to relive. "I'm sorry…I just don't know how to go about asking her without asking too much."

The Moon Princess tightened her hold around her girlfriend's waist, "I know. I trust your intuition, so I do think we'll need to sit her down and talk to her about what she is afraid of. I do think we should approach her slowly to make sure she doesn't shut us out."

The young miko nodded her head, "I'm afraid of just that. That's why I didn't want to press the subject earlier."

"I know, but sometimes you need to push a little especially when it's something painful or difficult to talk about." Usagi said knowingly.

Rei once again nodded her head, "Okay. I'm just worried because I don't really know how to act like a parent."

"I barely even know what I'm doing when it comes to Chibi-Usa." The Moon Princess admitted and took a deep breath before adding, "I just do what feels right and I'll always be here to help, we're in this together, remember?"

Rei smiled, "Thanks. I love you, you know that?" She said and turned her head to look at the girl beside her.

"And I love you too." Usagi said gave Rei the brightest smile she could give.

The two girls turned the street corner and as soon as they did, they could see a large torii marking the entrance the jinja. Usagi let go of her girlfriend's waist and likewise Rei removed her arm from the other girl's shoulders. Rei reached for Usagi's hand and took it in her own, interlacing their fingers as she did so. They ascended the steps together and in just a short time they reached the top. They quickly made their way inside the main shrine and looked for Rei's grandfather.

"Jii-chan! Where are you?" Rei called as they reached the kitchen.

"I'm in the garden." A voiced called in the distance.

The two girls then proceeded to rear of the shrine. As soon as they reached the door to the back garden, they saw the door was already open, so they simply stepped through. Sitting on the bench looking at the starry sky, sat an elderly man.

Rei approached him and asked, "Jii-chan is it alright if Usagi spends the night?"

The elderly man looked over to the girl standing beside his granddaughter, "What did your parents say?" He questioned the blond.

"I haven't asked them yet. I wanted to make sure it was fine with you first." Usagi said, already expecting that question.

The older man smiled warmly, "Of course it's fine with me as long as you get the okay from your parents."

Usagi bowed quickly and said, "Thank you Jii-chan. I'll go call them right now."

Rei smiled at her girlfriend and watched her leave to go use the phone. She really hoped her hopes won't be dashed, but the realist in her told her that Usagi's parents weren't likely to be too keen on her idea. Usagi's optimism was rubbing off on her because she could almost believe that she could convince her parents that abruptly staying over at a friend's house on a school night was a good idea.

"It seems she's finally softened you a little." The older man said out of nowhere.

"Wh-What?" The teen stuttered and looked at her grandfather. He wore a kind of half smile half smirk, making her wonder what her expression had looked like a few moments ago to draw his reaction.

"Usagi-san, she's done an amazing job of breaking down those barriers you put up to protect yourself." Grandpa Hino said with a big smile on his face.

"Jii-chan…" Rei muttered exasperatedly.

He simply continued to smile and pointed out, "Well even if you can't see it, which I doubt, I can. She's good for you."

"Jii-chan…please…" She muttered again. Rei could feel her cheeks warm, mostly because she didn't really didn't want to admit how right he was.

The elderly man put his hands up in defeat, "Fine..fine, as long as you admit it to yourself." Just as the words left his mouth the light patter of footsteps could be heard approaching the room.

Usagi returned with her backpack slung over her shoulder and a sad expression on her face. She shook her head no as she approached, "My mom doesn't think it's a good idea with school tomorrow."

Rei smiled sadly, she expected that to be the answer, but she still allowed herself to feel a bit of optimism that her parents would have agreed, "I'm sorry, maybe you can stay over another day."

The blond returned the other girl's smile with a small one of her own, "Yeah, maybe."

The young miko looked over to her grandfather and asked, "Would it be okay if I walked Usagi home, Jii-chan?"

The older man smiled warmly, "Of course. Just try not to be too long, it is getting late."

Rei walked over to the older man and kissed him on his forehead, "I won't be. I promise." She said and made her way over to Usagi and offered her hand to her girlfriend, "Are you ready?"

Usagi nodded slightly, "As ready as I'll ever be." She said and took the other girl's offered hand. She allowed Rei to lead the way to the shrine's exit.

Just before passing the threshold, the raven hair girl looked back and her grandfather and said, "I'll be back soon."

The old man nodded and watched the two teens leave with an amused grin on his face.

* * *

"Can I ask you something, Princess?" Haruka asked as she leaned forward in her seat across from Chibi-Usa. They each had a chair on opposite sides of Hotaru's bed. She'd been sleeping since they made it up to her room. There was an empty chair next to Haruka, because Michiru had left a short time ago to use the restroom.

The pink haired girl looked at the Guardian of Uranus curiously. She hadn't spent nearly as much time with her and Michiru-san as she had with the other senshi, but she knew the sandy haired blond well enough to know she was probably the most serious when it came to senshi business. However, she also knew the other woman was also probably the least serious when it came to topics not relating to senshi business. That made predicting her forthcoming question almost impossible to guess, but there was also no need to delay what ever her question was further. "Of course, Haruka-san."

"I've never told you to just call me Haruka or Haruka-chan at least?"

Chibi-Usa looked at other woman curiously once again, 'That is want she wanted to ask?' After a couple seconds she shook her head no, "No. I don't see you or Michiru-san as often as I do the other Senshi. It would be rude of me to just use your first name, but if you want me to, I will."

Now it was Haruka's turn to look curious, "So why is it that you don't see Michiru and me as much as you do the other girls?"

"Well, you don't live in the palace like the other Senshi do." She explained.

"Why? Where do we live then?" Haruka asked, her curiosity was definitely piqued.

"Mother told me that both of you guard the boarder of our solar system against outsider intruders and because of that you couldn't guard effectively always living in the palace." Chibi-Usa explained further, but paused as she thought about the second part of the question. 'I never really thought about it before…since I know why they don't live at the palace; I could probably make a guess.' The pink haired girl thought to herself. "As for where you live, I'm not sure. I've never asked. I would imagine its one of the outer planets, Pluto perhaps since it's the planet closest the edge of our solar system."

Haruka nodded her head in understanding, "Interesting. Now, I got off track of what I originally wanted to ask…" She started to say, but paused when she heard the room's door open. She looked over to see her girlfriend entering the room.

Michiru approached her chair, she felt as though she had interrupted something because Haruka looked guilty. "You aren't pestering her about things you shouldn't even be asking about are you?" Michiru questioned, but one look at her lover's face told her the answer to her question. She shook her head and looked over to Chibi-Usa, "You don't have to answer any of her questions about the future. She knows better than to ask you anything about it." The avatar of Neptune said, directing the last sentence at her lover as she sat down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I shouldn't talk about the future." Chibi-Usa quickly apologized.

"I don't blame you honey…" Michiru said warmly as she smiled at the future Princess, "I blame her." She said and point at her lover.

"Hey, they were all innocent questions." Haruka said, defending herself, though her girlfriend still didn't look entirely convinced. "I promise." The blond said sincerely.

Michiru shook her head and addressed the pink haired girl, "You should try to get some rest, it's rather late and there's no reason for you to stay up all night. Hotaru isn't going anywhere."

The other girl nodded and reclined the chair she was in and made herself more comfortable. She positioned herself on her side so she was looking at the dark haired girl in the hospital bed. "She's going to be fine, right?" Chibi-Usa asked quietly.

"Yeah, she's tougher than she looks. Her senshi healing would have kicked in by now and she'll be close to a hundred percent by the time she wakes up." Haruka said reassuringly.

"I'm glad. I didn't want her get hurt because of me." The pink haired girl said and yawned.

"She'll be happy you stayed with her." Michiru said, bringing a smile to the other girl's face.

* * *

"Why does tomorrow have to be a school day?" Usagi complained for probably at least the dozenth time since they left the shrine.

Rei smiled at her girlfriend as she'd done each previous time, "I wish it wasn't, but there isn't anything that can be done about it. At least tomorrow's Friday, so maybe we can try again." The raven haired girl offered.

"But tonight it would have been guaranteed to just have been us…"

Rei eyed the other girl curiously, "Usagi, we'll have plenty more opportunities. Even if it isn't just the two of us, you know you'll have my fullest attention."

A small smile inched across the blonde's lips, "I know. I was just looking forward to the possibility of staying over at the jinja with you." Usagi said and lowered her head as she finished.

The raven haired girl stopped, causing the other girl to do the same. She released Usagi's hand and put her hand under her girlfriend's chin, urging the other girl to look at her. "Why don't we do something this weekend then? It could be just the two of us, because I'm sure Chibi-Usa wouldn't mind staying with the outers for a day or so." Rei smiled as she watched her Princess' face light up at the suggestion.

"Really? What did you have in mind?"

Reis hugged her shoulders, "I don't know, whatever you feel like. We could go see a movie or just hang out; whatever you want to do is fine with me." A thought occurred to her as she said that, this would be their first official date. 'Maybe it should be something more formal…'

Usagi jumped into her girlfriend, catching her off guard and nearly knocking her to the ground, "Oh, that would be great! I can't wait for this weekend now!"

"I'm glad you're excited." Rei gushed as she smiled from ear to ear, "We're only about a block away from your house now though."

The blonde teen quickly moved forward and captured her girlfriend's lips for quick kiss. Rei blushed at the other girl's sudden action. Usagi pulled back and released Rei from her crushing hug and instead linked her right arm around Rei's left. The two girls then continued down the path to Usagi's house in relative silence until they reached her house.

As soon as Usagi opened the front door the two girls were immediately met Mrs. Tsukino, she must have seen them coming up to the house. The older woman didn't expect to see her daughter's friend with her and she didn't want to say anything that could embarrass her daughter, but… "Usagi, this is far later than the curfew we discussed in the past."

"I'm sorry she's so late, Tsukino-san. It's my fault. I was helping her with her Math homework and we lost track of time. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." Rei lied with ease.

Usagi's mother looked a little surprised at first, but didn't pay much mind to that as she spoke again, "Thank you for helping Usagi with her school work, Rei." She said to the raven haired girl before pausing and addressing both girls, "However, coming home at half past twelve on as school night without so much as a call to let me know you were running late will not be tolerated in the future. Do we have an understanding?" Ikuko asked and looked at both girls.

"Yes ma'am." Rei replied quietly.

"Yes Oka-san." Usagi replied just as quietly.

"As long as that's clear ladies…" She said and paused receiving a nod from each girl. "Thank you for walking Usagi home, do you want Kenji to give a ride back, so you don't have to walk?"

The dark haired girl shook her head, "No, I'll be fine walking back. Thank you for the offer. I should be on my way though. Good-bye Tsukino-san. I'll see you tomorrow, Usagi." She said as she took a step down from the porch.

"Good night, Rei-san." Tsukino Ikuko replied.

"See you later, Rei-chan!" Usagi exclaimed from beside her mother.

Rei found herself smiling again as she looked at her girlfriend, she waved her and her mother before turning around and starting her trek back to the jinja.

* * *

Hotaru rolled to her left, when her hand hit a metal bar on the side of her bed. She winced and cracked open her eyes. Her vision was a little blurry, so she wiped her eyes with her hand. As soon as her vision was cleared she found herself staring at a sleeping angel. She was surprised to see the other girl in her hospital room. Her face was slightly obscured by her messy pink hair, barely being contained by the buns on top her head. Hotaru smiled briefly as she observed how peaceful the other girl was.

"Chibi-Usa…" The youngest senshi whispered.

"She wanted to make sure you were going to be okay." Haruka said quietly, alerting the other girl of her presence as well.

Hotaru couldn't help but smile even more at her guardian's words as she looked over to the sleeping girl, "That was sweet of her." Hotaru turned her attention to Haruka as she asked, "So when can I be sprung from here?"

"Ami's mother said she wanted to keep you overnight for observation, so you should be released tomorrow morning. How do you feel?" Michiru said, drawing the younger girl's attention.

Hotaru smiled slightly, "Not bad. I'd say I'm pretty close to a hundred percent already. I told you there was no need to come here; I'll be fully healed by morning."

"You can't fault us for wanting to make sure. You're our responsibility." Michiru said protectively.

Hotaru was silent after that for a few moments before eventually saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean that I wasn't thankful. I just…"

Haruka cut off the dark haired girl before she could say anything more, "We know what you meant and its fine. We understand."

The younger girl smiled slightly, "Thanks." She said quietly. After a short time, she laid back on to the hospital bed and looked over to her left again. She watched the other girl sleep for a few minutes before turning back to her guardians, "I don't know what affect Rei and Usagi had on the timeline, but they obviously had a profound effect on Chibi-Usa, she's nothing like how she was before. In the time I've already spent with her, I can see that clearly. I want learn about  _who_  she is now and the state of things in the future." She told the two older women and looked at them for their approval.

"What do you mean? What are you hoping to learn?" Michiru asked.

"Everything I've learned from being with her so far tells me that she is a completely different person, different personality, different memories, different everything. I believe if I can learn more, I may learn why she never met me until now. And why she came to the past." Hotaru explained.

"What are you thinking?" Haruka asked as she leaned forward in her seat.

Hotaru took a deep breath, "I think there was something after her, but she's trying to hide that for some reason." She looked over the pink haired girl and added, "I think she's thinking she's protecting us or something."

"Do you think she'll open up to you?" Michiru asked gently.

The youngest senshi looked back to her guardians once more, "I'm not sure, but I'm going to try."

* * *

"Where is everyone else?"

Heliodor stepped forward as he spoke, "No one else is coming. I wanted to ask you specifically for help."

The blue haired woman eyed her companion carefully, "What makes you think I would help you?"

"I know the strength your faction possesses and I based on what I've seen I cannot acquire the Princess without additional help."

His companion was intrigued by this statement and urged him to continue, "Go on."

"I sent four of my shades, each of varying strength, to determine where we stand." Heliodor explained and paused for moment to take a deep breath, "I was disappointed to learn they are significantly stronger than I thought they would be and not only that, their fighting force is larger than I assumed it to be."

"How so?"

"Both Uranus and Neptune fought alongside the Royal Guard, but so did an unknown warrior. On top of that, Serenity even fought." Heliodor explained. "We'll need to formulate a plan, one that will draw the Princess away from her protectors, at least most of them in order to have a shot at acquiring her."

"You were supposed to be the one good a coming up with plans, but now you want  _my_  help?"

"Would you swallow your pride for once and work with me, Maxixie?" Heliodor hissed. "I don't have anyone in my faction of shades that can fight with them evenly. I could go, but based on my intel that would likely mean my demise if all of them worked together. That is certainly not the outcome I'm looking for."

Maxixie remained silent for a couple minutes before answering, "What's in it for me if I agree?"

Heliodor stared at the woman, "My appreciation…" He said somewhat sarcastically.

"I'm leaving." Maxixie said abruptly and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Heliodor said quickly. "I was merely joking about that."

"So, what do you have to offer me?" Maxixie stopped and look back. Heliodor smiled and walked up to her. He leaned next to her and whispered something into her ear. As soon the sentence left his mouth her eyes widened. "I don't believe you have the ability to accomplish that…but if you can…"

Heliodor started to walk away, "I'll contact you when my plan is ready to be put into motion." He said and within moments disappeared. Maxixie simply stood rooted in her spot until a new voice spoke…

"Hmm…I never thought you'd swallow your pride ask for help…" A voice said from behind Maxixie.

An irritated expression crossed the blue haired woman's face, "Eavesdropping is unbecoming, Morganite."

"Calm yourself Maxixie. I was merely curious. A meeting that was not requested in the usual way and with only you and Heliodor present…"

"Please just say what you wanted to say so I may leave." Maxixie said, still sounding irritated.

"As I said, I was merely curious, but now that I know what was discussed I do have a question…" Morganite said dragging out his part of the conversation.

Maxixie stared at the other man in annoyance, "So, out with it then."

"Do you actually intend to help him with his plan?"

She took a deep breath, "Most likely." She said simply.

"Interesting…do you mind if I watch?"

"Hmph…I think you'll do whatever you want no matter what I say, so why even bother asking." Maxixie said and glared

"Quiet true…"

"I'm leaving." She said simply before disappearing similar to Heliodor.

"I wonder what Goshenite will think of this turn of events…" Morganite wondered aloud before disappearing himself.

End ch.6

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another nice relaxing chapter. Of course the looming threat of their enemy is still there, as the final scene shows.


	7. Misunderstandings and Confusion

Chapter 7 – Misunderstandings and Confusion

* * *

Chibi-Usa whimpered quietly as she shifted on the less than comfortable hospital recliner. She curled herself up tighter, trying to find a somewhat comfortable position, but wasn't having any luck. A realization hit the 'young' girl; she wasn't likely to get any more restful shut eye in her current situation. 'I may as well get up.' She thought to herself and stretched her arms and legs as best she could. Cracking her eyes open, she found herself facing the window. It was still fairly early because the sun hadn't risen, though it didn't look like it was that far off.

"Good morning."

The pink haired girl turned over and looked at the hospital bed with a smile, "How are you doing?"

"Good. I'm only a little sore, but nothing too bad." Hotaru said and wore a smile of her own.

Chibi-Usa lowered her head somewhat as she said, "I'm glad."

Hotaru frowned as she observed the other girl. "What's wrong?" She asked and paused to wait for a response but when she didn't receive one after a few moments, she spoke up again. "I'm not lying, if you're thinking that. I really am fine, I promise…"

Chibi-Usa sat up quickly and looked at the senshi, "That's not it!" She said interrupting the other girl.

Hotaru blinked several times before staring intently at the girl across from her. As their eyes met the future Princess found herself flustered. Her companion's regalia eyes seemed to look straight into her…they reminded her of her mother's eyes. She didn't know if the other girl had any abilities like her mother, since she never asked, but she did know her eyes staring at her like they were, made her feel exposed. Once again she found her gaze lowered, but for a different reason than before.

The dark haired girl sighed to herself, she didn't know what was wrong, but she knew something was bothering the other girl. 'If she isn't going to say anything…' She thought and threw the blanket off of herself. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly as she accidently pulled on the IV drip. The sharp intake of breath didn't go unnoticed, because it drew Chibi-Usa's attention back to her.

The pink haired girl got up from her recliner and hurriedly stood in front of Hotaru, "What are you doing?"

The youngest senshi looked up, "Well, I was going to get up and make you look at me. Make you talk to me." She said causing the other girl to take a step back. Hotaru watched her carefully; she bit her lower lip slightly and seemed to be debating with herself about what to do. 'She just needs another little push.' Hotaru thought before saying, "Please. I know something is bothering you, so please just talk to me." Hotaru reached out to the other girl before she was out of her reach and grabbed her hand, "Please."

Chibi-Usa looked at her new friend with wide eyes but didn't try to pull away from the dark haired girl's hold. She did find herself lowering her gaze once again though before saying, "I'm sorry for getting you hurt."

Hotaru shook her head, "What are you apologizing for? Getting injuries is par for the course when it comes to being a Sailor Senshi."

The future Princess looked up quickly, "I'm the reason you got hurt though. I insisted on going and you were hurt protecting me."

"Nonsense, I could have been hurt whether I took you or not. Besides, it was still my choice to take you along." Hotaru pointed out.

"I didn't really give you much choice though…"

Hotaru smiled slightly, "That's true, but my previous point still stands and even if you try to discount that somehow, I made a promise to protect you and I take my promises very seriously." She said the last part somewhat jokingly, though they were words she honestly meant.

Chibi-Usa nodded her head, "Ok. I just wanted you to know that I was sorry."

The girl sitting on the hospital bed shook head, "There's nothing you need to apologize for, okay?" She said causing her companion to nod in response. The room grew silent for a time before Hotaru realized she was still holding on to the pink haired girl's hand. She quickly let it go and mumbled an apology. "Sorry…"

Chibi-Usa smiled, "It's fine, I didn't mind." She said and sat down on the hospital bed a short distance away from Hotaru.

Youngest senshi could feel her cheeks warm at the other girl's comment. She turned away from the pink haired girl and looked the saline solution drip into the IV line, hoping to avoid any embarrassment. Thankfully her actions didn't seem to raise suspicion because she wasn't questioned.

"Where are Haruka-san and Michiru-san?"

"Oh, they went to get some coffee, they shouldn't be gone too much longer." Hotaru said and looked back to the other girl, happy for the change of topic.

Chibi-Usa leaned forward and placed her hand over Hotaru's forehead, "Are you running a fever? You look a little flushed."

Hotaru silently cursed her pale skin for betraying her. She took her friend's hand in her own again and brought it away from her face, "Maybe a small one, but it's no problem." She lied without skipping a beat. The future Princess looked like she was going to say something when her attention was drawn to the door. The door slowly opened and in walked Haruka and Michiru. Chibi-Usa slipped off the hospital bed and greeted the two women.

The avatar of Saturn watched the three women, but despite her best efforts she found her eyes drawn to the pink haired girl. She'd resolved to learning about this girl and she had every intention of doing just that. 'If I can get her to open up to me a little bit at a time, maybe eventually she'll trust me enough to tell me everything…'

* * *

Rei sat up and yawned as she stretched her arms above her head. She pulled her covers off and got up from her futon. The raven haired girl padded over to her closet and pulled out her school uniform. She looked over the familiar outfit and sighed, 'I wish I could go to Usagi's school…' she thought and walked over her dresser to grab a set of bra and panties. Once she had the desired garments, she left her room to take a shower. She entered the bathroom and put her clothes aside to get undressed. 'I wonder if I talked to Jii-chan he'd speak with father about transferring for high school…' She shook her head at the thought. 'Like father would give a damn about what I want…'

Rei finished her shower and got dressed before applying her makeup. She headed back to her room and collected her backpack. She made her way to her door again and looked back in her room to make sure she didn't forget anything. After a moment she turned and left her room, making her way over the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before going to school. The young miko entered the kitchen and saw Yuuichirou with his head inside the refrigerator. She placed her backpack down near the table without a sound before heading over to the cabinet near the fridge. As soon as she opened the door and grabbed a bowl, she saw out of the corner of her eye the man in to fridge jump back and close the fridge hastily. The raven haired girl held her bowl as she watched her grandfather's assistant nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Is there something wrong, Yuuichirou?" Rei asked as she continued to stare at him with a confused expression.

He shook his head, "N-Nothing's wrong."

"Okay…so why are you so jumpy then?"

"You just surprised me, that's all." The scruffy looking man said and opened the bottle of water in his hand, taking a healthy gulp afterwards.

Rei still looked at him strangely, but continued what she was doing before their interaction. She opened another cabinet and pulled out a box of cereal. She poured its contents into her bowl and put the box back. She turned to the fridge and noticed Yuuichirou was surprising still there, so against her better judgment she continued their strange conversion, "Umm…well I do this most days I attend school and I usually grab something to eat before going, so it's not that unusual that I'd be in the kitchen right now."

The young man nodded his head slowly, "Yeah, of course."

Rei opened the fridge and poured some milk in to the bowl, "You're sure there's nothing wrong?" She asked and looked back to her companion as she put the milk back and shut the fridge.

He nodded his head, but paused for a second before asking, "Actually, I do have a question. Why did Usagi's cousin stay the night the other day?"

Rei was walking over to another drawer to grab a spoon when Yuuichirou asked his question, causing her to pause for a moment, not entirely expecting  _that_  question. She quickly recovered and resumed what she was doing initially, grabbing a spoon as she questioned back, "Why are you asking?"

"I-I just thought it was strange that she didn't stay with U-Usagi." He said, faltering somewhat as he spoke.

Rei took a seat at the table in the room and eyed the man across the room. "I don't know what it really matters, but she came in late and didn't want to impose on Usagi's family on such short notice."

Yuuichirou opened his mouth as though he was going to say something more, but closed it before uttering a word. He simply shook his head and started to walk out of the room. As he reached to the room's exit he paused for a moment, "I hope it was worth it."

Rei stared at the man as though he'd grown two heads, but before she could say anything he was gone. When her brain finally began functioning normally, her mouth finally communicated her thoughts, " _What_?"

* * *

KNOCK KNOCK

A few moments after the polite knocking on the hospital door, Dr. Mizuno stepped into Hotaru's room. The doctor approached Hotaru and smiled, "I see you're awake. How do you feel?"

Haruka and Michiru stepped around to the other side of the bed and motioned for Chibi-Usa to follow, which she did.

Hotaru smiled as she spoke, "I'm doing fine." She eyed the older woman as she stepped up to the bed with a chart in her hands.

Mizuno-san nodded her and glanced at the clipboard she held, "Well your bp and temperature are normal, so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't discharge you."

Hotaru smiled at hearing that news, "Thank you for taking care of me, Mizuno-san."

The doctor shook her head, "It was nothing. Just do me a favor and don't make it habit of coming here."

"I'll do my best."

Ami mother nodded and looked over to Haruka and Michiru, "I'll need someone to sign a few papers to release her."

Michiru stepped forward, "I can do that."

Mizuno-san nodded once more and motioned for the blue haired woman to follow her, "Right this way then please."

The avatar of Neptune followed the doctor as she made her way to the room's exit. Haruka looked at the other two girls, "I'll join Michiru. I'll be back in a few moments." Both girls nodded and in a few moments they were alone again.

Hotaru glanced at the girl in front of her; she looked to be lost in her own thoughts. 'I wish I knew what she was thinking…' she thought to herself. Of course she could always just ask, but she didn't want to be too direct and beside even if she asked her, there was no telling whether or not she would be truthful and she didn't know the girl before her well enough to accurately gauge her sincerity. Then again she had to start somewhere and she knew Haruka's real reason for leaving the two of them alone was to give her more time with Chibi-Usa. 'I really do want to know everything I can about her…for more reasons than I let on to Haruka and Michiru.' She thought when the pink haired girl's voice brought her back to reality.

"I'm sure you're glad that you are being released."

"Oh…I am. I didn't think she'd have any reason to keep me here any longer anyway." Hotaru said, recovering quickly. The other girl smiled when she heard her response. After a few more seconds of silence, she decided to see how the other girl would respond to a question that was one her mind since she arrived. "Can I ask you about something?"

Chibi-Usa nodded and stepped in front the dark haired girl, "Of course you can."

Hotaru took a deep breath, "You said you've never come to past before, right?"

Chibi-Usa stared at the other girl, unsure as to how to respond. 'I already told her that, so why would she bring it up again?'

"I'm sorry; I don't mean to ask you anything that makes you uncomfortable." Hotaru backtracked when she saw her companion's reaction.

She bit her lip softly, "No, it's just…I already told you, do you not believe me?" she asked, sounding a little hurt.

"No, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I do believe you. I just wanted to find out more about  _how_  you traveled here." Hotaru said quickly.

"Oh…sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I just…I'm sorry." Chibi-Usa said and quickly lowered her head in embarrassment.

Hotaru reached forward and touched her friend's arm, drawing her attention back to her, "No, it's my fault for starting the way I did." She said and dropped her hand onto her lap. She shook her head slightly before continuing, "I just didn't want to just blurt out the question and have you take it the wrong way, but I guess that didn't really work out how I was hoping either…" The dark haired girl sighed. "I'm sorry if this is something you'd rather not…" Hotaru was surprised to feel a pair of hands covering her own, prompting her to look at her companion with widened eyes.

"I'm sorry. It really is my fault, not yours. Rei-mama has told me for the longest time to not just use my ears when someone is talking, but to also feel their intent. Or rather their aura, it tells you much more than their words do. I'm not as adapt as my mother, but can I feel only your curiosity." Chibi-Usa smiled her reassurance to her new found friend. She didn't think the other girl could read her aura, but if she could, she knew that she'd feel the same thing she could feel from the other girl. She released Hotaru's hands and stepped back until her feet touched the recliner. She sat down and grew more serious as she said, "But as for your question, I don't really understand how I came here. I remember passing through a large set of double doors and the next thing I knew, I was here."

"A large gate…." Hotaru said quietly, causing the future Princess to nod her head. 'She used the same path as Pluto then. Does that mean she's alive in the future? But if she is, why hasn't she returned to us?'

Chibi-Usa watched as the other girl became absorbed in her own thoughts, but that caused her to wonder as well. "Do you know something about time travel?"

This time Hotaru nodded, "Yes. There is a system of gates to the past, the present, and the future. You passed through the gate to the past. My understanding is that each primary gate has a network of gates that link to critical points in that time…"

"Only one gate appeared before me. There were no others." Chibi-Usa said interrupting the other girl.

"Hmm..there's really only one person that would be able to completely explain that, the senshi who governs over time, Sailor Pluto." Hotaru said and paused for a moment before adding, "The only problem is, she lost her life in a battle shortly before you arrived."

"Was her star seed destroyed?" Chibi-Usa asked as soon as the words left her friends mouth.

Hotaru stared at her curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Her star seed…her essence…her soul. Mama said all of us with eternal star seeds cannot die unless our star seed is destroyed. We will always be revived again either through reincarnation or through the Ginzuishou." The pink haired girl explained.

Hotaru nodded, "I see. Then I guess it's only a matter of time before she returns."

Chibi-Usa smiled, happy that she could ease her friend's worries. Their current conversation brought an idea to her mind, "Since I answered your question, I want you to answer one of mine."

The avatar of Saturn looked taken aback by the question, but she did her best to not let it show. "Sure, it's only fair."

She nodded, "The girl you remember, did she act very different than me?"

Again Hotaru found herself taken by surprise. "W-Well I'd hate to say this but I'm at a bit of a disadvantage because I haven't spent nearly as much time with you as I did with her."

Chibi-Usa nodded slowly, "Then if I asked, do I act different than her?"

Hotaru took a deep breath, she didn't want throw a wedge into the friendship they were forming, but it wouldn't be right to not be honest either. After another deep breath she said, "Yes."

She hoped she wouldn't regret continuing this line of questioning, but she couldn't help herself, "How? How do I act differently?"

"You aren't as impulsive, though you do have your impulsive moments, so I guess that may not be true. You're quieter, more introspective than the girl I remember. In many respects you are more mature, at least from what I've seen. Even though you can't transform, you have the ability read other's auras, but I think all of that is really more of Rei's influence showing through than…" Hotaru was stopped short when she heard the door open, followed by her guardians entering with a nurse.

"I'll be removing your IV. Afterwards you can get dressed and you'll be free to go." The young nurse, whose id read 'Kana', said with a smile.

"Thank you. I'm more than ready to leave." Hotaru said and held out her arm that IV drip was connected to.

Idle chatter continued between Hotaru and the nurse as well as her two guardians, but Chibi-Usa remained silent. The pink haired girl was too focused on how Hotaru was going to finish that sentence. She'd have to continue their talk again sometime soon.

* * *

School was the usually tedium at Azabu Jūban Junior High. There was a 'surprise' test in English; though Ami said they were told about it earlier in the week. All Usagi knew was the test was a surprise to her and she was sure she performed horribly on it as well. Usagi smiled when the bell toned to indicate the end to another period, this time however it meant the start of her favorite part of the school day, lunch.

Usagi's ears caught two of her friends discussing a grocery list and her smile widened. 'I guess it's tonight for the formal introductions.' She thought when her thoughts traveled over to her own relationship. While Rei and her hadn't spent much time around her parents since they got together, they had spent a lot around Rei's grandfather. She knew the longer time went on, the harder it would be to keep their feelings from showing through to their loved ones. It was hard enough already to keep herself in check around Rei's grandfather.

She found herself comparing the differences in her feelings for Mamoru and Rei, even though she didn't really intend for that to happen. She loved Mamoru, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but the intensity doesn't compare. There's a ' _pull_ ' that she feels with Rei that she didn't feel with Mamoru, though that seems to make the time they don't spend together more difficult…

"It's a nice day out, let's have lunch outside." Makoto announced over her shoulder to her two blond friends.

"Okay." Usagi replied cheerfully. She turned her gaze to the girl in the desk beside her and frowned. Minako didn't appear to be paying attention; she was off in her own world. Usagi looked forward, "You two go on ahead, we'll catch up with you." She said and flashed Ami and Makoto another smile.

"Alright…we'll see you a few then." Ami said and took her girlfriend's hand and lead her out of the classroom.

Usagi glanced around the room for a moment and upon seeing it was virtually empty she put her hand on Minako's shoulder, causing the other girl to jump slightly. Usagi was a little surprised because she thought her friend could sense her, but she disregarded that for the time being. She was a little concerned when she saw how tired the other girl looked though, "Is something wrong? You look tired Minako."

Minako looked confused for moment before answering, "What? I'm fine."

The Moon Princess sighed at her friend's poor attempt to convince her, "Minako….I know you remember, you are  _not_  fine."

Minako lowered her head, "I'm just tired. That's it really."

"If that was all it was, you would have said so initially. So, please just be honest with me. You know you can say anything to me." Usagi said and placed her hand over her friend's that was lying on the desk.

The senshi of love frowned as she continued to look down. Had it been anyone else, expect for maybe Rei, she could have talked her out of her current predicament, but it was Usagi. She shook her head slightly and looked over to girl she charged with protecting, "Okay…" She paused for moment, "I guess I'm just feeling a little left out being surrounded by couples…"

"You could have just told me. I'm sorry we made you feel that way; I'll make sure no one forgets about you Minako when we make plans. You aren't just a soldier, you're a friend." Usagi said sincerely. "Actually, Rei and I are planning on going to a movie tomorrow and you are more than welcome to join us." Usagi offered with one of her trademark smiles.

The avatar of Venus smiled somewhat at the other girl's offer before saying, "That's kind of you, but I wouldn't want to be a third wheel…"

"Minako! You could never be a  _third wheel_! Why would you even think that?" Usagi said and stood up abruptly before taking a deep breath and kneeling in front of Minako, "You're my friend and I love you like a sister, so if I ever gave you the impression…"

Minako looked up and grabbed Usagi's shoulders, silencing the girl. "Usagi, you are not at fault for how I feel. And I truly thank you for the offer, but I would feel like I'm intruding."

"You wouldn't be, trust me. It's not like we had any plans to make-out in the theater." The Moon Princess said, laughing a little at the end. She saw the other girl was going to say something else, so she cut her off before she could, "Just so you know I'm not taking no for an answer. If you try to give me another excuse, I'll make it an order." She said with a smile. "You can only overrule me if my order puts my safety is in danger, remember."

The blond sighed, "Of course I remember. It's not fair to use something I told you about against me."

"I know, but that's why I know it'll work." Usagi said and stuck her tongue out.

"Fine, but it's under protest."

"Duly noted." Usagi said and grabbed Minako's hands and pulled her to her feet. "Now, let's go eat! I now only have twelve minutes to finish my bento."

Minako couldn't help but laugh at her friend, "Okay, let's go." She said and let Usagi drag her out of the classroom.

* * *

Rei walked up the steps to the shrine at a slower pace than she usually traveled up them. As she got closer to her home she found herself thinking about the man the lived there with her grandfather and her. Their conversation earlier had left her utterly perplexed and she had every intention of confronting him. She could tell he was acting strangely since she returned home, but she had no idea what his problem was. Initially she had thought he was still upset with her over she'd treated him before she was kidnapped, but she wasn't so sure anymore. 'Whatever his issue is, he's going to talk to me and I'm going to set him straight.' She thought as she reached to top of the steps and entered the shrine.

She saw her grandfather sweeping the courtyard, so she approached him. "Good afternoon, Jii-chan."

The older man looked up and smiled, "Is it that late already? You're already out of school?"

The raven haired girl nodded, "Yep." She said and paused for a second before asking, "Do you know where Yuuichirou is?"

Her grandfather looked towards the sky in thought, "I believe he's tending to the garden in the back."

Rei nodded, "Okay, thanks." She began to walk toward the main shrine, only to hear her grandfather speak again.

"Oh Rei, a Kaioh Michiru called a short time ago and said Hotaru was discharged. She also said they'd be at their house if you needed anything,"

The miko stopped for a second, "Thanks Jii-chan." She said and continued on to her bedroom. Once she slid the door to her room shut she pulled out her communicator. She took a quick glance at the clock in her room, 'Usagi should be out of school…' She thought and pressed a couple buttons. After a couple seconds Usagi's face appeared on the small screen.

"I was just thinking about you." Usagi said with a smile.

"You're making my heart flutter." Rei said and returned her girlfriend's smile, until she heard laughing in the background, causing her to turn a light shade of red. "Shut it, Minako." She muttered under her breath.

The Moon Princess laughed a little as she asked, "So, what's up?"

"They released Hotaru and all four of them are at Haruka and Michiru's place." Rei said speaking into her communicator.

"Well that's good news. We should probably pay them a visit then."

"That's what I was thinking as well. Do any of the other girls want to come?" Rei asked and watched as her girlfriend looked at her other friends. She could hear Ami and Makoto say they would like to but have other plans.

"I'm afraid I have to decline as well."

"Are you sure Minako?" Usagi questioned, still looking away from the circular devices screen and towards her friend.

"Yeah, but thanks for the invite."

Usagi sighed, "Well okay then." She turned back to the communicator, "Do you want to meet at my house then?"

"How far from your house are you?" Rei asked.

"About ten minutes away."

"Okay, I'll meet you there." Rei said and disconnected. She thought about what she intended to do when she got home, but shook her head. 'Yuuichirou will have to wait.' She thought and walked over to her dresser to grab a new set of clothes to change into.

* * *

Usagi shook her head, the only way Rei could make it to her house about the same time as her would be if she transformed and ran. Usagi looked over to her blue haired friend and her taller girlfriend, "So, tonight's the introduction then?"

Ami nodded, "Yeah. I made sure that she would be home tonight."

"Actually, we should probably get going. We still need to go to the grocery store." Makoto said and took Ami's hand in her own.

"Yeah, if we want everything to be ready when my mom gets home, we should head there now." Ami said with a nod her head.

Minako smiled at her two happy friends, "Good luck, guys! Though I don't really think you need it."

"Yeah, good luck!" Usagi called to the two girls as they started to walk away.

"Thanks." The couple said together.

The two blondes continued walking to their respective homes. They both lived in the same direction, until they reached a street a couple blocks down. Usagi looked at her friend, she didn't like a quiet Minako, it only increased her concern for the girl. She hoped that she wouldn't regret bringing up this topic again but, "So, why don't you want to go with Rei and I to the outer's house?"

"It's not that I didn't want to go with you guys, I just have plans." Minako explained, but received a disbelieving look from her Princess. "It's true, I promise."

"Okay, what plans do you have?"

"It's nothing exciting or anything, I was just going to spend some time with Artemis."

"Oh, well I hope you two have fun." Usagi said with bright smile.

"I'm sure we will." Minako said and stopped. "I'll see you later." She said and turned down the street she needed to take.

"Minako!" Usagi called to the retreating girl, causing her to turn around. "I'm calling you tomorrow morning to tell you when we'll meet up, okay?"

The avatar of Venus smiled and shook her head slightly, "Okay, Usagi!" She called and waved good-bye.

* * *

Usagi dropped her backpack on the ground in her room, waking the small black cat that was sleeping on her bed. "Hey Luna." Usagi said and proceeded to remove her school uniform.

"How was school today, Usagi?" The black cat asked after she stretched.

"It stunk." The blonde said with a laugh. "We had a test in English and I don't think I did too hot on it. Ami said our teacher told us about it on Monday, but I didn't remember." She said with a pout. She was down to her bra and panties when she opened her dresser and pull out a white tank top and a pair of blue jeans.

"Your studies are important you know." Luna said in motherly tone.

"I know Luna, I know. But I've had a lot on my mind recently, I mean we only just got Rei back and now Chibi-Usa is here…" Usagi said as she zipped up her jeans.

"How is she? Chibi-Usa I mean. I haven't seen her since she arrived." Luna said, stumbling over her words a little.

"Luna, you can ask me about Rei too. You've hardly even mentioned her since I told you about our relationship." The Moon Princess said and slipped on her tank top.

The small cat sighed and leapt down from the bed and jumped on to the dresser, so she would be more equal in height to her charge, "I know. It's just different thinking of you two together..."

"Luna, I love her and that's not going to change. She's my future and it just feels  _so_  right being with her…" Usagi paused for a moment before adding, "I don't think words can do justice to my feelings…all I know is that my feelings for her are the strongest thing I've ever felt."

The black cat sighed once again, "Usagi, I know better to question you or your feelings. I'm just saying that I'm adjusting to this change, that's all."

Usagi reached out and petted the cat in front of her, "I understand Luna."

The room grew silent, until the Moon Princess' actions drew Luna's attention. Usagi pulled out a third set of clothes and sent them to her sub-space pocket, as she had done with the previous two. "Why are you putting some many clothes in your sub-space pocket?" The feline asked curiously.

"If all goes well with mom and dad, I'll be spending the weekend over at the shrine." Usagi said with a smile as she picked out one more outfit.

"I understand that you're in love, but aren't you moving a little quick though?" Luna questioned and eyed the teen for her answer.

Usagi rolled her eyes at her guardian's assumption, "I do anticipate that I'll still be a virgin after this weekend, if that's what you're thinking."

The feline made an effort to cover her ears, but her cat hearing was too good despite her efforts. "Usagi, I wasn't…okay maybe I was, but you don't have to give me details. Unless you have…questions…"

Usagi cut off the black cat before she could put her foot in her mouth again, "Luna I can understand your worries, but I promise we are  _not_  moving too fast. We're moving at a speed we are both comfortable with." She said when the doorbell rang, "That's Rei. I'll see you later, Luna." Afterwards, she hurried to her door and headed downstairs to greet her girlfriend.

End ch.7

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very "talky" chapter, as I like to say. Of particular fun was the final conversation of the chapter, between Luna and Usagi.


	8. Dinner

Chapter 8 – Dinner

* * *

Mars smiled as Usagi's home came into vision. She leapt into the air and investigated the area for a safe place to undo her transformation. She spotted a secluded place that would give her cover as well. She immediately made her way to the spot she selected and returned to her civilian identity. Rei continued on her way, though at far slower pace than she had been going. After a few minutes of walking she was walking up the pathway to her girlfriend's house. When she reached to front door, she pressed the doorbell. It was only a couple seconds before the door opened to reveal Usagi's mother.

"Hello, Tsukino-san." Rei said and bowed slightly. "Is Usagi back from school yet?"

The blue haired woman smiled as she said, "Yes, she's up…right here." She corrected herself mid-sentence as her daughter appeared beside her.

Usagi took Rei's hand and pulled her inside, "What are you waiting there for? Come in!"

Rei laughed a little as she entered the building, "Okay, okay, I'm inside."

Ikuko closed the door, "I was going to tell her head up to your room, when I saw you were already here." She said causing her daughter to look away from her, a little sheepishly.

The raven haired girl smiled, "Thank you, Usagi's just…. impatient." She said and squeezed her girlfriend's hand lightly.

The older woman looked at her daughter and shook her head, "I can see that." Ikuko said with a smile. "Would you like anything to eat? I'm almost done with dinner."

"Thank you, but I don't want to impose." Rei said politely.

"Nonsense, there's more than enough to go around." The blue haired woman said, wearing another smile.

"Actually mom, we were going to head over to meet another one of our friends." Usagi said.

"Is dinner ready, honey?" Usagi father asked, coming into view as he stepped into the foyer from the living room. "Oh…do we have guest for dinner?" Kenji asked, noticing one of his daughter's friends.

Usagi shook her head, "No dad, we were going over to a friend's."

"Oh…well, it's good to see you Rei-san" Kenji said, sounding unsure of what to say.

"It's nice to see you as well Tsukino-san." Rei said, once again bowing slightly. He nodded his head and started to walk back to the room he came from, only to be stopped by his daughter.

"Actually, since you're here, I'd like to ask you and mom something." Usagi said and looked at both her parents.

"What is it?" Ikuko asked.

Usagi took a deep breath and looked over to Rei for moment before continuing, "Well, I was wondering if I could stay over at Rei's for the weekend?" She looked at both of her parents for their answer.

Kenji shrugged his shoulders and looked at his wife. Seeing his expression the blue haired woman shook her head slightly before turning to her daughter, "I'm not so sure after last night…"

"I know that was irresponsible of me and I'm sorry mom. It won't happen again." The blond teen said quickly before her mother could dwell on the previous night. "Please mom." She added, hoping to push her into her favor.

Ikuko appeared to be thinking over Usagi's request when she turned to Rei, "Is your grandfather okay with Usagi staying over?"

"Absolutely. He's always happy to have any of my friends over." The raven haired girl replied without skipping a beat. Still seeing that she was on the fence she added, "You can call him if you'd like. I promise he'll be all for Usagi staying over."

"No, no, that isn't necessary." The older woman said to the dark haired girl before turning to her daughter, "I guess it's fine as long as you don't come back too late Sunday for school on Monday."

Usagi's face lit up and she lunged at her mother, "Thank you, Mom. I promise I won't be home late Sunday!" She said and kissed her on the cheek.

Ikuko smiled and hugged her daughter back, "You're welcome honey." She said before releasing the teen.

"What ever happened to that Mamoru guy? You don't ever talk about him anymore." Kenji asked, unknowingly completely shattering his daughter's gleeful mood.

Usagi looked surprised by the question and stepped away from her mother, moving closer to Rei. Her girlfriend met her halfway and took her love's hand in her own. Usagi felt better as she held Rei's hand, but it didn't quell all of her nerves as she looked at her father to answer his question. "We actually broke up." She said and nervously shuffled her feet. She didn't know why she hadn't told her parents yet, more than anything the topic just had come up and she wasn't going to be the one to initiate that conversation.

The older man actually wore a large smile on his face when heard what Usagi said, "Good riddance. He should date a girl his own age."

"Dad, he was always a gentleman with me. He's a good man and still care about him." Usagi said, still feeling the need to defend the man. He hadn't done anything to cause their breakup after all.

"Why did you break up then?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

Usagi could feel Rei squeeze her hand, bringing a small smile to her lips, "We just…realized we weren't meant to be…"

"Like I said good riddance." The patriarch of the family said. Usagi sighed and looked as if she was going to saying something again, but he spoke up again before she could. "Usagi, I was his age once too and I know what men his age are thinking."

"He wasn't like that…" The blond protested.

"Honey, all men are like that." He said and took a deep breath as he added, "I just think you would do better to find a nice boy your own age…" He paused when he saw his daughter's reaction. "What's wrong, honey?"

Rei could feel the change in her girlfriend immediately and squeezed her hand once again, but didn't get any real response. She really just wanted nothing more than to hold the other girl in her arms, but she also didn't want to cause her parents to ask even more questions. She took a quick glance over and saw she wasn't likely to respond to her father anytime soon, so she spoke up for her love. "I'm really sorry, Tsukino-san but we really should be going. Our friends are waiting for us." She said and gave a little tug on her girlfriend's arm, bringing her back to reality. Usagi looked over at Rei and it only took a moment for a smile to return to the girl's lips.

"Usagi…" Ikuko said

Rei turned around and gave Usagi's mother a warm smile, "She's fine. She's just still getting over M-Mamoru-san." The raven haired girl said and let go of Usagi's hand, deciding to put her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders tenderly instead, holding her comfortably against herself. She really wanted to kiss her and reassure her girlfriend's concerns, but now wasn't the best time to do that, so she just ushered the blonde away from her home.

The blue haired woman nodded, "Okay…have fun." She said and watched Rei lead her daughter away from their home.

Kenji looked at his wife, "What was that about?"

She shook her head, "I don't have a clue." She said and took one more look at the two girls before closing the door.

* * *

Makoto pulled a piece of paper out of her purse, "Let's see what we need…."

Ami watched her girlfriend analyze the list of ingredients for a few moments before asking, "Are you sure you want to go to all this trouble? We could always just order something."

The brunette looked up from the paper and over to Ami, "You aren't doubting my culinary skills, are you?" She said in mock anger.

"O-Of course not." Ami said quickly, not noticing her girlfriend's attempt to ease her reservations.

"Ami, you don't have anything to worry about. Just relax." Makoto said and rubbed the shorter girl's back comfortingly.

The blue haired girl took a deep breath and quickly nodded her head, "I'm trying. It's just that this is the most important conversation I've ever had with my mother and…" Ami took another deep breath before adding, "I just don't know how she is going to react."

Makoto leaned down and kissed the side of her girlfriend's head, "I've met your mother plenty of times. She loves you and she will love after tonight, I promise."

Ami turned to taller brunette, "How can you be so sure, when I'm not?"

Makoto smiled and wrapped her arm around the shorter girl's waist, "I might be a little bias, but I don't see not loving you as an option."

The blue haired girl couldn't help but smile, "Thanks Mako-chan."

"You don't need to thank me Ames I just telling you the truth." She said and looked at the piece of paper again, "Now, let's get what we need."

Ami nodded and felt a little better, but she couldn't help still feeling a bit nervous. However, she decided to not let that affect her as best she could, "Alright, what is first?"

Makoto smiled and held her girlfriend a little tighter, "Ok, for the roux we need butter, flour, garam masala, cayenne pepper, black pepper, tomato paste, and tonkatsu sauce."

Ami looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Well I know that I have butter, flour, and black pepper at home, so we just need the other ingredients." The brunette nodded and her girlfriend questioned, "What else do we need?"

"Ok, for the curry we need; oil, a couple onions, carrots, potatoes, an apple, salt, peas, and some kind of meat, unless your mom would prefer tofu? Oh, and rice of course!" Makoto said and turned her attention back to her girlfriend.

"I'm sure she'll love whatever you choose, tofu or meat." Ami said with a smile.

"Pork it is then." The brunette said and kissed her girlfriend's temple, "This is going to be the best curry your mother's ever had."

* * *

"This is your house?" Chibi-Usa asked as she looked around the mansion in awe. Her mother's shrine was large, but the actually living space wasn't very big. This house was huge in comparison; though it wasn't as large as the palace it was still impressive.

Michiru laughed a little at the girl's wonderment, "Yes, we have the fortune of being well off in terms of money." She said with a smile.

The tall blonde placed her keys on the table by the door and looked at the youngest house resident, "Hotaru, why don't you show Chibi-Usa around?" Haruka suggested.

The pink haired girl shook her head, "That's not necessary. I can explore the place on my own…" She trailed off when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm perfectly fine now, you know. And I'd love to show you around." Hotaru said hopefully.

Chibi-Usa looked to her left and found herself staring into her friend's eyes a bit longer than she felt was necessary. She looked down embarrassedly, "I'm sorry…" She mumbled apologetically. 'What is wrong with me? I keep doing that…she probably thinks I'm bizarre…' She thought to herself before she chanced looking over to Hotaru again. She thankfully wasn't looking at her like she was as strange as she felt. "Okay." The pink haired girl said, hoping to avoid any inquires about her behavior, mostly because she didn't have an answer herself.

"Great! Michiru and I will whip something up for dinner." Haruka announced and put and hand on each girl's back and urged them forward. "We'll let you know when it's ready."

* * *

Both girls gave the tall blond a curious look, but after a moment Hotaru shook her head. She took her friend's hand and led her away from her guardians, "Come on. I'll show you around this level first." Chibi-Usa only nodded and allowed the other girl to take her wherever she was taking her.

Once a couple minutes past and the two girls were nowhere to be seen, Michiru looked at her lover, "You can't force it, you know."

Haruka smiled, "I know…but being with her makes Hotaru happy even though it also makes her a little sad."

Michiru smiled and laid her arm across her lover's shoulders and brought her lips to her ear, "Come on matchmaker, let's get dinner started."

"How did you come to live with Haruka-san and Michiru-san?" Chibi-Usa asked curiously. Hotaru stopped for a moment, a little surprised by the question, but as she took that moment to think about it, it wasn't  _that_  unexpected of a question. Her silence drew her companion's attention because again she questioned her, "I'm sorry. Did I ask something you didn't want to talk about?"

Hotaru shook her head, "No, I'm sorry it just surprised me. It's fine though, but I get ask you a question too."

The pink haired girl nodded, "Alright." She said and recalled using the same tactic earlier, so it was only fair.

"Okay." Hotaru said and gave a quick nod before starting to walk slowly again, "Well my mother died when I was much younger, when I was five years old."

"I'm sorry…"

"Thank you." She said and smiled slightly, "She died in an accident at a research lab. I was there and was injured as well. I probably would have died if it wasn't for my father. His intentions were in the right place, but because of what he did to keep me alive many more people suffered."

Chibi-Usa stared at the other girl for a couple seconds after hearing what she just said. She questioned whether to ask what came to her mind, but in the end she couldn't  _not_ ask, "What exactly did he do?"

Hotaru looked down briefly, but eventually her eyes reconnected with her companion, "He made a deal with an evil group of aliens who called themselves the 'Death Busters'. For me to live I had to become a host for one of them. My father was in an awful state and they used his grief as a tool to get what they wanted. They eventually even made him a host for one of them as well and that is what eventually lead to his death." She said and paused for a moment, "He regretted accepting that offer until he died."

Chibi-Usa could feel her eyes fill with tears. She could feel the other girl's pain and it was hard to bare. She suffered far more than she was indicating and it broke her heart that the other girl felt the need to put on a brave face, despite how much she was obviously hurting. A soft sob escaped her lips, drawing Hotaru's attention, causing her to stop and look back at her.

"What's wrong?" The dark haired girl asked, but that only caused another sob from the other girl.

Chibi-Usa took an unsteady breath to compose herself before she spoke, "How…How can you remain calm? Despite how much you are hurting."

Hotaru looked down briefly before stepping closer to the other girl and putting her hands on her shoulders. She stared into the other girl's eyes, "I don't allow myself to dwell on the past. I will not lie though, I experienced a lot of pain back then but there is nothing I can do about that now, so there is no sense allowing the past to continue to hurt me."

Chibi-Usa shook her head, "But it is hurting you…I can tell…" She whispered.

Hotaru sighed, 'I'm going to have be cautious with my feelings around her.' She thought to herself before taking a deep breath and saying, "My father died only a few weeks ago, so that pain is still fresh, but I am happy where I am. I'm where I should be and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Chibi-Usa nodded and wiped the remaining wetness from her cheeks, "I'm sorry…it's just that it's not good to ignore your feelings."

"I'm not." Hotaru said quickly, but immediately realized how that must have sounded so she added, "I promise."

The pink haired girl stared at her for a few seconds before nodding her head slowly, "You may think it weird of me to say since I don't really know you, but I will listen if you ever need to talk." She said and reached forward, taking the other girl's hand in her own.

Hotaru could feel her cheeks warm, so she looked down embarrassedly before speaking, "It's not weird…I'm grateful for the offer." She said quietly before looking at Chibi-Usa, "I promise, you'll be the first person I go to if I want to talk."

"Good, I'll hold you to that." Chibi-Usa said with a smile and squeezed the other girl's hand slightly.

Hotaru couldn't help but smiled as well, "We've gotten completely distracted away from what we doing originally." She said and laughed a little.

The future Princess shook her head, "It's fine…I want to know more about you." As soon as the words left her mouth, she found herself blushing profusely. She let go of the other girl's hand and looked away from her, "I'm sorry…you probably think I'm strange."

"I definitely don't think you're strange, because I want the same thing." The dark haired girl said with a smile and took Chibi-Usa's hand again, to emphasis was feeling the exact same.

The pink haired girl's cheeks reddened further, but she still couldn't help returning the other girl's smile. "I'm glad." She said quietly.

"Good, now let's continue with the tour." Hotaru said and pulled her companion towards a staircase. "Our bedrooms are located on this floor." She said as she began to ascend the stairs. Once she reached the top she pointed to the first door at the top of the staircase, "That is Haruka and Michiru's room. The rest of the rooms down this hall are mostly spare rooms." She turned left and walked a short distance to a room with double doors, "This is…was Setsuna-san's study. She spent most of her time there when she was here." Hotaru took a deep breath before turning around and walking back towards the stairs. She stopped and looked at the girl beside her for a moment before looking forward again, "W-Would you like to see my room?"

Chibi-Usa immediately smiled, "I would love to."

Hotaru's gaze landed back on the other girl and she smiled, "Okay, it's just down this hall." She said and pointed in the direction she was referring to. She lowered her hand and led her companion to her room. Hotaru opened the door and held it open for the other girl to enter. "It's not much, but this is my little sanctuary."

The slightly shorter girl entered the room and looked around in wonder at the various lamps that decorated the room. There wasn't any natural light, but she found herself not caring as much as she would have thought. The numerous lamps lit gave the room a unique, but striking glow. "It's really beautiful…" Chibi-Usa muttered more to herself than anything, but apparently she was overheard.

Hotaru smiled and made her way over to her bed in the middle of the room and sat the edge of it. "It's nothing like the collection I had before though…I just started to collect them again." Hotaru said quietly and look towards the ground when she felt her cheeks become warm.

"Again?" Chibi-Usa asked curiously.

"Do you remember when I told you how I became a baby again after fighting that enemy that was trying to invade Earth from outside our solar system?" The dark haired girl asked and after a few moments received a nod, "Well, before that I had a collection of lamps. They were like my retreat when things weren't so good."

Chibi-Usa nodded slowly and sat down beside Hotaru on her bed, "I'm sorry you had to start over again. I miss being able to go to the palace's gardens. It was always so relaxing and peaceful there…" She said and laughed lightly as she added, "I was actually scolded a couple times for falling asleep in the flower beds." Her smile faded after a few moments though, 'Everyone must be so worried, especially mother and mama, I hope everyone is doing okay and…' Her thoughts were cut off by a hand covering her own. She looked over to the girl beside her curiously.

Hotaru smiled and squeezed her hand slightly, "Don't worry, we'll find a way to get you back home. I'm sure you must be homesick." Chibi-Usa nodded her head slightly, she was homesick, but that wasn't the only thing on her mind, but she didn't say anything further.

Several minutes of silenced past the darker haired of the two spoke. Hotaru glanced at her companion as she asked, "Do you mind if I ask my question now?"

Chibi-Usa shook her head, "Not at all, ask whatever you want." She said quickly a little curious about what her question would be.

Hotaru gave a quick nod before shifting slightly so she could look fully at friend, in the process releasing her hold on the other girl's hand. She immediately found herself missing the contact, but she ignored how she felt and got down to trying to figure some things out about the girl with her and the future. "I want to ask you something about the future." She said and watched the other girl's reaction.

The future Princess tilted her head to the side slightly, "Ok, what did you want to know?"

"Well, I was curious about the state of things in the future." Hotaru said cautiously.

Chibi-Usa looked at her curiously, "I'm not sure I know what you are asking."

"Sorry, that wasn't very specific." Hotaru said and took a deep breath. "We did have minimal knowledge of the future, but I'm sure much has changed from what we knew before. So, I wanted to know if you could tell me some of the basics like, do you live on Earth?"

The pink haired future Princess shook her head, "No, we live on the Moon."

The dark haired girl nodded, 'That would make sense, since there would be no union with the Moon and Earth. "How is their relationship? The Moon and Earth I mean."

"Very good, we have a peaceful alliance with the ruler of Earth, King Endymion."

Once again Hotaru nodded, 'That's good, much better than the Silver Millennium. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else with Endymion ruling though.' She thought. "That's good to hear, their relations were poor during the first Silver Millennium."

"Oh…that's never been in issue as far as I know. Was that it?" The future Princess asked.

Hotaru shook her head, "Just one more general question. Do you have any known enemies or has it been peacefully?" Chibi-Usa looked away from the other girl and remained silent. Hotaru didn't press her, wanting to give her the time to answer.

'How am I supposed to answer that? Yes, we are at war with a group of hypocritical radicals who claim to hate magic, yet use it quite often themselves….' She bit her lower lip gently as she mulled over what exactly to say. She was frankly surprised that her companion was being this patient with her. Taking a deep breath, she let her gaze meet her dark haired friend, "It has mostly been peaceful, but we do have enemies."

The avatar of Saturn held her friend's gaze for a short time longer before looking forward, "I see." 'That's a step in the right direction. I know she would have been lying if she'd have claimed they had no enemies.' She turned back to the pink haired girl, "Thank you for being honest with me." She said with a smile. 'I'll have to ask some more specific questions next time.' She told herself.

Chibi-Usa gave her a quick nod, "Of course." She said, but when the words left her mouth she felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't entirely forthcoming.

Hotaru stood up and took one of the other girl's hands in her own and brought her to her feet as well, "Let's head to the kitchen, I have a feeling they may be finished with dinner."

"But they didn't call for us…"

The dark haired girl smiled, "I know Haruka and Michiru, and I can just about guarantee that they are finished and just waiting for us to come down."

* * *

Ami and Makoto put their grocery bags on the counter in the kitchen.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Ami asked as she watched Makoto unload the bags.

Makoto looked around for a moment, "Can you get me a large saucepan, a knife, a cutting board, and everything you said you already had here?" She said and began emptying the bags of everything she would need. Ami quickly returned with everything and placed the saucepan on the stove and the ingredients she had next to the other ones Makoto had already laid out. "Ok, I need to caramelize some onions, so can you peel them while I start to heat the oil." Ami nodded and grabbed the two onions and peeled them as instructed.

The blue haired girl held the two onions for her girlfriend and she had adjusted the temperature to where she wanted it, Makoto turned and took them from her. She grabbed the knife and made quick work of the vegetable, dropping them into the saucepan. "It may look like a lot, but they'll reduce to almost nothing after they caramelize." She explained and stirred the pan of onions occasionally. "Do you want to cut up the pork? Or would you rather keep an eye on the onions?" Makoto asked.

Ami looked at the pan and the knife for moment, "I might do better watching the onions."

Makoto handed her the spoon she was using and kissed her check as she swapped positions with her, "Whatever you want, love."

Ami blushed lightly and looked at the pan, "I just need to stir them, so they don't burn, right?" She asked.

The brunette nodded her head and took the knife and cutting board over the sink to rinse them off. "That's right babe." She came back and dried off the knife and plastic board quickly before opening the package of pork, they'd bought earlier. She cut up the pork into cubes and put them to the side for the time being, until the onions were finished. "Let me get another pan, we should get the roux going too." She said and went off to grab said pan. She returned quickly and turned on another burner and adjusted the temperature. She put the pan on the heat and added the butter. It didn't take long for the butter to melt completely, since it was already room temperature. Makoto looked at the onions, they didn't need much longer. "Where are some measuring cups?"

Ami looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, "In the second drawer beneath the one with utensils." She said and pointed in the general direction. Her girlfriend nodded and walked over to the drawer and took out the measuring cups she needed.

Makoto measured out a quarter cup of flour and added it to the pan of melted butter. She then measured out two tablespoons of garam masala and added that to the same pan. She reduced the heat and stirred the ingredients, until the mixture thickened. She glanced at the pan Ami was attending to before saying, "It looks like it's time to add the pork." She reached over and dropped the cubes of meat into the pan, "Let me know when the pork is browned." She said and looked at the flame for the pan with the meat after a second she turned the flame up a little. She grabbed the cayenne pepper and black pepper and added it to her pan. She worked the pepper into the mixture and grabbed the bottle of tankatsu sauce and tomato paste and added them to the mixture as well. After a few minutes the mixture reached the right consistency, so Makoto turned off the flame and put the pan on to one of the unused burners.

The brunette looked at the clock on the wall, "When should your mom being coming home?"

Ami paused for moment, "She's usually back around six from the shift she is on, as long as nothing holds her up."

Makoto nodded, "Ok, so if she's on time, we have about forty five minutes. I should get the rice on..." She gave a quick look around the kitchen, but didn't see what she was looking for immediately. "Where is the rice steamer, honey?"

"Oh, it's on the microwave kart, on the bottom." Ami said, while keeping her attention of the pork.

"Thanks." Makoto said and grabbed the cooker and set it up for the rice.

"I think the pork is nearly done." The blue haired girl stated.

"Good, you need to added four cups of water and a couple carrots to it." Makoto said as she added the rice to the steamer. Ami nodded and filled a measuring cup up with the amount of water she was told to add. She took out two carrots from their package and quickly peeled them and cut them. When she dropped the last piece of carrot into the pan, she felt a pair of arms encircle her at her shoulders. "Now we just have to wait for that to boil and add the rest of the ingredients." Makoto said and kissed the shorter girl's cheek.

Without the distraction of watching the food, Ami could feel her nervousness start to resurface. "And then we just have to wait for Oka-san."

Makoto held her girlfriend a little tighter, "Don't be so anxious babe; she's going to love me."

"I love that you're so confident." Ami said with smile.

"Well of course, how could she not after she tastes my cooking?"

Ami turned in her girlfriend's hold, so that she was facing her now, "You're the best girlfriend anyone could ask for." She said and leaned up to kiss her partner when a hissing sound startled her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the water boiling over, causing her to laugh. "I guess that's sign that we were getting distracted."

"I blame my sexy cooking assistant." Makoto said with a laugh before leaning down slightly to give her girlfriend a quick kiss. She let her go afterwards and reduced the heat on the stove and went over the finish the meal.

* * *

Minako lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling and sighed, 'Maybe I should have just told Usagi that I would go along with her and Rei.' As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she shook her head, 'I already feel like I'm imposing on their date.' She frowned and got up, "I can at least do something productive." She told herself and looked around for something to occupy her time. Her eyes fell on her school bag and she groaned, 'I really don't want to do homework on a Friday night…' she thought.

She continued scanning her room until her eyes landed on her manga. She thought about occupying her time with them, but realized she didn't have any new ones to read and she really didn't want to reread any of the ones she had. 'Have I really become this lost without everyone else?' Minako asked her and found her eyes drawn to her bedroom window. She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out her henshin stick.

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-up."

The blonde whispered and held the object above her head. She quickly opened her window and leapt outside, breaking into a full sprint as soon as her feet touched the ground. She didn't have any particular place in mind as she ran, just wanting to be somewhere she wouldn't be seen, somewhere quiet. She quickly scanned her surroundings and released she wasn't too far from downtown Tokyo. In the distance, she could see a brightly lit metal structure in the distance. 'It's been a while since I've been to Tokyo Tower.' She thought as she leapt on to a nearby building, knowing that she would have to be quiet high if she wanted to avoid drawing any attention in such a large city.

Traveling at full speed it didn't take her very long to reach her destination. Giving a quick look to make sure no one could see her climbing the iconic structure. Satisfied that the coast was clear she ran up to the building and jumped on to one of the many steel beams. She continued higher until she was sure that she would have a good view of the city.

Venus sat on the scaffolding and watched all the people hurrying around far beneath her. She laughed a little to herself at how the screen looked from her vantage point. 'They don't even know how many times this planet came close to destruction…how many times Usagi saved them.' Venus shook her head at the thought, 'It's for the best that they don't know. I doubt most of them would even be able to handle the truth.' Her gaze turned away from the streets beneath her as she looked up toward the sky. Night was starting to overtake the sunlight and the stars where becoming more visible. The sky had a pretty orange hue to it as the last remnants of the sun set the distance. It was truly a beautiful sight.

'I should really come here more often.' She told herself as she leaned her head against a metal beam and continued to watch the setting sun. A small smile made its way on to her lips as she thought, 'This would be quiet romantic if I wasn't alone.' Her smile widened as a thought occurred to her, 'Maybe I'll suggest this place to Rei.' She continued to enjoy the scene before her until her vision began to blur. She cursed silently and wiped her eyes with her gloved hand clearing her vision momentarily, but it blurred again after a few seconds. She made no attempt to clear her vision again, knowing it would be futile. So she just continued to enjoy the romantic scene playing out in front of her with watery eyes.

* * *

Usagi and Rei had been walking in relative silence, both girls simply enjoying their closeness. They were only a couple blocks from their destination when Usagi spoke, "I don't know why it never occurred to me to tell them about Mamoru and I. They wouldn't have asked all those questions then. Maybe I should have just told them about us then."

Rei looked at her girlfriend sympathetically, "Usa…"

Usagi shook her head, leaving her gaze on the ground. "I froze when he talked about me finding a nice boy." She paused and looked over to Rei, "I'll never find the nice  _boy_  my Dad wants me to…why couldn't I just tell him then?"

Rei held Usagi closer to herself and kissed her girlfriend's temple. She rested her cheek against the spot she just kissed as she spoke, "You don't have to tell your parents anything until you're ready. It wasn't exactly a planned conversation so it's understandable that you would be surprised." Rei could feel Usagi nodded her head slightly. "I don't think you made the wrong choice not tell them. It would have been a bit much at once, wouldn't it?"

Usagi nodded again, "You're right. I guess I just never really thought about it…the fact that I'd have to tell my parents about us at some point." She shook her head slightly at her own words, "That seems a little silly now that I think about it."

Rei smiled and kissed Usagi's cheek, "I love you, Usa and I'll be with you when you do tell them."

The blonde looked to her left and smiled brightly, "I wouldn't do it without you." She said nuzzled closer to her girlfriend.

The raven haired miko looked a little crestfallen as she said, "We better make sure to enjoy ourselves this weekend then."

"Why?" Usagi asked as she cocked her head to the side slightly.

"Well, I don't think your parents will allow many sleepovers when they do find out about us." She explained.

"Oh…maybe we should keep our relationship to ourselves for a little longer then." Usagi said with a smile and held on to Rei tighter.

"Whatever you wish my Princess." Rei said and kissed her cheek as they reached the long driveway to Haruka and Michiru's place. They walked towards the large house and when they reached the front door, Rei reached out with her free arm and rang the doorbell.

It didn't take long for the door to swing open and reveal a tall blonde on the other side, "Well, good evening girls." Haruka said with a smile.

Usagi stepped forward and hugged the blonde, "Hello, Haruka. How is Hotaru doing?" She asked as she pulled back.

"Good, we were just about to sit down and have dinner, if both of you would like to join us?" She said and gestured toward the kitchen.

"We'd love to." Rei said with a smile and stepped even with her girlfriend, taking her hand and interlacing their fingers.

Haruka nodded, "Right this way ladies." She said and led them to the kitchen. As soon as they entered the kitchen, they saw Hotaru and Chibi-Usa sitting next to each other at a table, with Michiru sitting opposite them. "Look you is joining us for dinner." The tall blonde announced when they had fully entered the kitchen.

The pink haired girl at the table got up quickly and ran over to the two new visitors, "Mama and mother." She said and hugged the raven haired girl, before doing the same to Usagi.

"We missed you too." Rei said with a smile as she released the shorter girl from her hug, causing a faint blush to cover her cheeks.

"Have you had fun staying with Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru?" Usagi asked as she held her future daughter in a hug.

Chibi-Usa nodded her head against her mother, "Oh yes." She said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I've liked getting to know Hotaru-chan better." She added much quieter for only her mother to hear.

Usagi smiled and whispered, "I'm glad." She finally let go of the shorter girl and together made their way to the dinner table.

"I'm glad that you're doing much better, Hotaru." Rei said as her eyes met the young Sailor Senshi.

Hotaru lowered her head slightly, "Thanks, but I guess I should really thank you, Usagi-san." She said and looked over to the Moon Princess as she finished.

Usagi smiled, "I don't deserve all the credit. I would have never known how to help you without Chibi-Usa's help. She told me how I could help you." She said and looked down at the girl beside her. Chibi-Usa's eye widened for moment before she felt her cheeks warm, and that was when she found something fascinating on the floor.

Hotaru got off her chair and walked over, "I guess I need to thank the both of you then." She said and stepped closer and gave the future Princess a loose hug, causing her blush to deepen.

"You don't have to…" Chibi-Usa whispered, but was cut off before she could finish.

"Of course I do. I'm pretty sure, I'd still be in the hospital without your help." Hotaru said quietly.

"I think all of us are relived that you aren't in the hospital and that you have recovered." Usagi said, bringing a blush to younger dark haired girl's cheeks as well.

"Let's eat before everything gets cold everyone." Michiru announced grabbing everyone's attention and after a couple laughs everyone made their way to the dining table.

* * *

Makoto looked at the clock for what felt like the dozenth time. It read 6:05, the food was prepared, now they were just waiting for Ami's mother to come home for work. They had already set the table for three people, so now it was just a waiting game. Her girlfriend caught her, she was pacing. "Ames, I think you are going to wear a hole in the ground there." She said with a laugh.

Ami stopped and looked at the brunette curiously, "W-What?" She asked, only to resume her previous activity.

Makoto smiled and shook her head as she walked over, "You're pacing, love."

The blue haired girl stopped again, this time realizing what she had been doing, "Sorry, I'm just…" She stopped when she heard the apartment's lock being opening.

"Here we go babe." Makoto whispered and gave her girlfriend a reassuring kiss on her cheek.

Ami nodded and took a deep breath, "Right, do you mind waiting for me to call you out?"

The taller girl nodded her, "I'll do this however you want."

"Thank you." Ami said and quickly gave her girlfriend a kiss on her lips, "Just hang in the kitchen for a few moments, while I get her to settle at the dining room table." She said and walked out into the living room as the front door opened. "Welcome home, Mother."

The older woman looked over to her daughter and smiled, "Good evening, Ami. I'm sorry I'm a little later than I normally am, I got caught up with some paperwork before I left."

Ami shook her head, "It's okay, I'm just glad it was nothing serious and you were able to leave." She said and took her bag from her. "Why don't you take a seat at the table? Dinner is already ready and I have someone I want to introduce to you." She said and headed into the kitchen, when her mother's voice reached her.

"I thought you told me, I'd already met this person?"

Ami paused, "Well you have, but please just bear with me mother." She said and hurried into the kitchen. As soon as she entered, her gaze immediately went to her girlfriend, "Are you ready?"

Makoto smiled, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Ami smiled briefly and took the other girl's hand, pulling her towards the door as she spoke, "Mom, I have someone very important to me that I'd like you to officially meet…" She called through the door and took one more deep breath before pushing the door open. "Mom this is my g-girlfriend, Makoto."

The older woman looked the pair with poorly hid surprise. Sure she had inklings about her daughter's feelings toward the tall brunette, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions, it was usually never a good idea. She'd always rather her daughter tell her feelings, but she hadn't so she began to think maybe she had misinterpreted her feelings. She did feel a little satisfaction that wasn't completely off base. She noticed her daughter start to look nervous and that's when she realized she hadn't responded yet. "You love her Ami?"

Ami nodded quickly in response, "With all my heart."

"And you love my daughter?" Mizuno-san asked, addressing the girl holding her daughter's hand.

"I do, without reservation."

Mizuno-san couldn't hold back a smile, when she heard other girl's conviction. "I must say it's about time my daughter listened to her feelings." The older woman said, clearly surprising the two teens with her reaction.

* * *

"Goshenite…"

After a few moments of silence footsteps and the tapping of something could be heard, "What is it Morganite?"

"Sir, I just overheard something quite interesting…" He drew out.

"I know you know better than to try my patience, Morganite."

He bowed his head, "Of course sir, please forgive my insolence." He said before raising his head again, "Apparently Heliodor went behind your back and contacted Maxixie to form some alliance."

"That is truly none of my concern. I do not care how it is accomplished! I just want that brat in my possession! As long as our front isn't weakened here, I don't give a damn. If that is all, I would like to remind you to not waste my time again." The other man said and stared down his subordinate.

Morganite nodded quickly, "I understand and it will be done sir!"

Several seconds passed without a word being spoken. A long sigh came from one of the two, "So what are you waiting for! Return to your post, Morganite." After a second he bowed and disappeared.

"It's only a matter of time…" Goshenite said and paused, nodding his head after a moment. "Yes, I know. If they fail I have another plan..." He began to walk away when he spoke once more, "Do not worry, we will have our revenge…"

End ch.8

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hinted that Ami's mother had an idea about her daughter since the middle of Her Battle. Now I've finally given conformation to that. I didn't touch on Ami and Makoto's relationship in Her Battle that much and I regret that, so I've made every effort to not do that this time around.


	9. Nightmare

Chapter 9 – Nightmare

* * *

Everyone had taken a seat at the dining room table, Usagi, Rei, and Chibi-Usa on one side with Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru sitting opposite them.

"Thanks for allowing us to join you for dinner." Rei said after taking a drink of her water.

"It's our pleasure. We would be poor friends if we didn't since we were just getting dinner started." Michiru said with a smile.

The group silently ate for a few minutes, until Haruka decided to strike up a new conversation. "So how are things going?" Haruka asked and looked at Rei and Usagi expectantly.

Rei looked over to the older woman, "Fine." She said simply and continued to eat. She took another gulp from her glass and noticed the blonde's eyes were still on her, "Was there something else you wanted to ask?" Haruka smiled at the question, a little mischievously if Rei were to describe it. "What?" The raven haired girl asked again.

"Just  _fine_ , that's it?" Haruka questioned, almost complained really.

"Yes, unless you wanted to ask something else." Rei stated again and took another swig of her drink.

"So nothing juicy to share?" The blonde asked impishly.

Both Rei and Usagi found themselves nearly choking on their drinks. The darker haired girl was the first to recover and glared the blonde across from her, "I don't think that's really any of your business." She said and turned her attention to her girlfriend, who was still coughing a little. She slowly rubbed the other girl's back comfortingly.

Michiru noticed her lover was going tease the girls further, so she decided to step in, "Ruka, I don't really think that's an appropriate topic to discuss at the dinner table, especially in front of our younger guests."

Haruka frowned before glancing at Hotaru and the future Princess, who both appeared to be differing shades of red before she relented, "Well that's just not any fun."

The room grew silent for a short time before Michiru broke the in with a new question, "So, did the two of you have any plans for this weekend?"

Usagi smiled happily at the older woman, "Yes, I'm going to spend the weekend at the Jinja with Rei and we have plans to go see a movie tomorrow and after that, I'm not sure, but we'll just have to see."

Michiru smiled at the younger girl's enthusiasm, "That all sounds very fun."

"Thank you Michiru, it will be I'm sure!" Usagi exclaimed.

"So what have you done today, Chibi-Usa." Rei asked curiously

The pink haired girl smiled as she began to explain, "Hotaru showed me all around their home. It's been fun hanging out here and Hotaru has been really helpful." She said and glanced at the previously mentioned girl. She could see the pale girl's cheeks were a bright red, though she tried to hid behind the glass in her hand.

"I'm glad." Rei said sincerely.

The room fell silent for a few second, save for the sound of utensils on plates, until Chibi-Usa spoke again, "Mama, Mother there is something I'd to ask."

"Of course, what is it?" Usagi asked curiously, giving the girl her full attention.

"Would it be okay if I stayed here?" Chibi-Usa asked cautiously. "I mean, only if it's okay with Haruka and Michiru, of course." She added quickly, not wanted to assume anything.

Rei and Usagi looked at each other for a few seconds, "I thought you liked the shrine?" Rei asked.

"I do love your home Mama, I do. It's just that I can't help feeling that I will end up causing trouble for you in the end. I don't want to say anything that will cause problems with Hii Jii-chan." She said and looked away from her Mama's past self. She didn't want to hurt her with her request; she just thought it would be easier for her, though admittedly she did have another reason. "I'm sorry Mama, I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't want to stay at the shrine with you."

While it would be less complicated and probably easier for Chibi-Usa to stay with the outers even if for a short time, she didn't expect to hear the request from the girl. She sighed and looked at the distressed girl across from her, "I guess you just caught me…" She said and glanced at the blonde next to her, "…Well both of us off guard actually." She said and took a deep breath. "I appreciate that you are trying to prevent anything trouble for me, but you don't need to worry about that. I can deal with whatever may come." Chibi-Usa nodded slowly in response. "That being said, if you want to stay here a little longer, I don't have problem with it."

"Neither do I, as long as Haruka and Michiru are fine with it." Usagi said and looked at the two older women.

The two outer guard looked at each other for a moment, "We would be honored to have the future Princess stay with us." Haruka stated.

Chibi-Usa got up and ran around the table until she reached her parents. She hugged and thanked Usagi before doing the same with Rei. "The Jinja will be always be open anytime you want to come by and I expect to see you often."

The pink haired girl nodded her head, "Of course, I will." She said and released the other girl. She then proceeded to hug and thank Michiru and Haruka similarly.

Rei leaned over to her girlfriend and whispered, "We probably should be heading to the Jinja." She received a slight nod in reply.

"It's about time we headed out." Usagi announced to the rest of the room.

"It seems like you just barely got here though." The youngest senshi stated.

"I'm sorry, Hotaru, but it's getting late and Jii-chan is expecting me back shortly." Rei said as she stood up.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner." Usagi said as she stood as well.

"I'll see you out then." Haruka called and stood up quickly and met the two teens in the entryway to the hallway that led to the front door. She opened the door for the girls and held the screen from them.

"Thank you, Haruka. Please take care of Chibi-Usa, we'll see you soon, I promise." Usagi said and stepped outside.

"We will, Princess." The blonde said with a smile.

Rei stepped outside, "Can you at least try to behave yourself and leave your crude comments to yourself, around Chibi-Usa?"

" _Crude_? I take offense to that, Rei." Haruka said, holding her hand over her heart.

The raven haired girl rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I would have thought I'd have to this to Chibi-Usa, but I'm going to say to you instead. Behave yourself." Haruka simply laughed at the girl's request, so Rei shook her head and took Usagi's hand and began walking away from the large estate.

"Of course, I wouldn't act any other way." She said and waved to the duo as they got further away.

* * *

"H-How did you know?" Ami asked looking surprised.

The elder Mizuno stood up and walked over to the couple, "I'm your mother, Ami. I could hear it in how you talked about Makoto. I could tell you were happier recently, but I just didn't know what had changed and now it's obvious what it was. I'm happy that you are happy, dear."

Ami smiled as she felt her eyes begin to fill with tears. She let go of Makoto's hand and closed the distance between to her mother, "Thank you, mother." She whispered.

Mizuno-san smiled as she held her daughter tightly, "You don't need to thank me, I love you, Ami."

Ami nodded her head into the older woman's shoulder, "Mmhm." After a couple minutes, Ami pulled away from her mother, "I'm glad, I was a little worried."

The teen's mother looked at her curiously, "Worried? About what?"

The blue haired girl looked down briefly before focusing on the older woman, "That you would be against…"

The older woman immediately pulled her daughter close again, "Oh honey, I would love you whether you were homosexual, bisexual, asexual, or heterosexual. The fact that you love another woman doesn't influence my love for you, I'm just happy you are so deeply in love." She smiled as she leaned down and kissed the top of her daughter's head, Ami just nodded and held her mother a little tighter.

Makoto watched the exchange with a wide smile. There was a ting of sadness that she'd never get that with her own mother, but her smile didn't wane in the slightest. She was so happy that her love had such an incredible mother that loved her no matter what.

"I thought I heard we were having dinner here? I'm starving." Mizuno-san said as she pulled back slightly and looked at Makoto, giving her a smile.

"Oh yes, absolutely!" Ami exclaimed and jump up to her feet. She hurried into the kitchen, grabbing a surprise Makoto by the arm and bringing her with. As soon as they were inside and door had shut, Ami leapt into the taller girl's arms and kissed her. "I'm so happy, Mako. Thank you for not letting me get too worked up, I love you so much." She said and kissed her girlfriend again.

Makoto put the smaller girl down gently, "I love you too babe, but maybe we should get your mother dinner before we get too carried away." She said with a smiled and kissed the other girl once more.

"Oh…right." Ami mumble sheepishly went over to the pans still on the stove.

"I'll get the rice steamer if you can bring out the pot with the curry." Makoto said and picked up the appliance.

Ami nodded and grabbed the pan with the curry, "I'll get the door." She said and stepped in front of her girlfriend, opening and holding the door open for her.

"Thank you." Makoto said as she walked through the doorway and back to the table Ami's mother sat. She placed the streamer down on the table and looked at the older woman, "I hope you enjoy the meal Ami and I prepared for you."

The doctor smiled and looked at her daughter, "You cooked Ami?"

The blue haired girl looked down, trying to hide her warming cheeks, as she put the pan on the bamboo trivet that was already sitting on the table. "It was really Mako-chan. I didn't really do much."

Makoto laughed lightly at her girlfriend, "She's just being modest, she was a great help in preparing dinner." She said with a smile and spooned the curry into the bowl in front of Ami's mother.

Mizuno-san smiled, "I'm glad to hear that." The doctor looked at the bowl of curry for a moment before turning to Makoto, "This smells wonderful Kino-san. After how my daughter has raved about your cooking, I must admit that I am eager to try what the two of you have prepared here."

"Please feel free to begin." Makoto said as she filled Ami's bowl as well. "I'm sure you must be hungry after your shift at the hospital." She said and went about filling her bowl as well.

Still the older woman waited until everyone was seated before taking her spoon in her hand. Once she had the utensil in hand she said, "Itadakimasu."

The group began to dig into dinner, when after a few minutes, Ami's mother spoke, "This is simply excellent." She wore a smile as she spoke.

Makoto smiled as well as she said, "I'm glad you like it, Ami suggested this be our dinner." She said and reached over to her girlfriend's hand, giving it a light squeeze.

Looking at both teens she said happily, "Thank you for creating this wonderful dinner girls."

Both teens smiled at the older woman's comment before continuing to eat their dinner. The trio ate in relative silence, simply enjoying the delicious meal. Once everyone was nearly finished the brunette at the table asked, "Would you like anymore, Mizuno-san?"

The older woman place her fork down on her virtually cleared plate, "Oh I couldn't, no matter how tempting it is."

"Would you like me to take your plate then?" Makoto asked, glancing down at the plate in question.

Mizuno-san smiled at the offer, "Thank you."

Looking at her blue haired girlfriend Makoto asked, "Are you finished as well, Ami?"

She smiled at the other girl, "I am, thank you." She said and the taller girl grabbed her plate as well.

"I'll just take care of these dishes." Makoto said as she was already moving back to the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?" Ami asked before the other girl could disappear into the adjacent room.

As soon as the other teen had left the room, mother and daughter looked at one another and the younger girl knew her mother had something to say. She didn't waste any more time before asking, "So, when did the two of you start dating?"

Ami blushed warmly at the question, "Only a couple weeks ago." She said happily and added, "I love her so much though Mother and I know she's the one I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

"I know you do dear. You've already told her life story so I don't think I need to ask you much about her." Mizuno-san said, causing her daughter's blush to only deepen. "I am incredibly happy that she makes you happy."

Ami smiled at her words, "Thank you mother."

The tall brunette made her way back into dining area, "It's been a pleasure officially meeting you, Mizuno-san." Makoto said as she bowed her head respectfully to the older woman. "But I should be heading back home."

"I hope you don't become a stranger around here, I'd like if you came over every so often, since you are going to be in my daughter's life for the foreseeable future." Mizuno-san walked over to the teen and gave her a light hug.

'You have no idea.' She thought to herself and returned the older woman's gesture. "Thank you, I'll make it a point to hang out here, instead of always being at my apartment."

Ami stood up and quickly made her way over to her girlfriend as she said, "I'll walk you out."

Makoto took the shorter girl's hand, "I would like that."

As they began to walk toward the door Mizuno-san spoke once again, "I mean it Kino-san, come by here whenever you want."

A wide smile crossed her features as she looked back to the older woman, "I will." She could feel her girlfriend tug on her hand slightly, so she allowed herself to be lead out of the apartment. Ami stepped outside with her and closed the door, "So how did I do?" Makoto asked quietly.

"Magnificently!" Ami said quickly and stood on her toes, placing a kiss on the taller girl's lips.

* * *

Rei and Usagi walked the relatively short distance to the shrine, arm in arm and simply enjoying their closeness. Usagi took Rei's hand and interlaced their fingers together, bringing a smile to her girlfriend's face. "I had a talk with Minako earlier today at school." Usagi started.

Rei nodded, "Oh yeah, what about?" She asked curiously.

"Well she told me that she was feeling a little left out, so I hope it's alright with you but I asked her to join us tomorrow." Usagi said with a hint of nervousness.

Rei smiled broadly, "Usa, that was really sweet of you." She said and kissed the side of the blonde's head, near her temple. "And of course it's fine, I don't want Minako feeling left out."

Usagi smiled brightly and tightened her hold on the dark haired girl's arm, "I'm glad." She said cheerfully and paused for couple moments before speaking again, "I worry about her, Rei. She's usually cheerful, but sometimes I catch her looking so sad and I want us to do something to cheer her up."

"What did you have in mind?"

The Moon Princess bit her bottom lip lightly and thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, but we'll think of something I'm sure." She said with a smile and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder as they continued toward Hikawa Jinja.

"Of course we will, my Princess. Minako is our precious friend and we can't have her feeling sad." Rei said and rubbed her thumb over the top of Usagi's hand she was holding. Her thoughts drifted to her blonde friend, she had an idea what was bringing down the other girl, but it wasn't her place to speak on her feelings that would have felt like a betrayal of her. She sighed quietly, but it still drew Usagi's attention.

"What is it?"

The miko smiled as she looked at the other girl, "Just thinking why Minako has been feeling left out." She said and paused for a moment, "I'm glad you noticed and reached out to her." She leaned down slightly and placed a kissed on Usagi's cheek. She looked up when she pulled away and saw the large red torii at the base of the steps to her home. "We probably should let Jii-chan know that you are going to stay the weekend when we see him."

"Ok, you don't think he'll have a problem with you not asking, will he?" Usagi asked

"No, he loves you. He'll be happy to have you here." She said reassuringly, before beginning to ascend the many steps up to the jinja. It only took them a couple minutes to reach the top and make their way into the shrine itself, knowing that it was too late for her grandfather to still be outside.

"Jii-chan!" Rei called as soon as they entered the shrine and looked around for any sign of her grandfather.

"In the kitchen Rei." The older man replied.

The two girls headed to the kitchen to meet the elderly man. They entered the kitchen, still holding hands when Rei saw her grandfather was turned the opposite direction, so she called out to him, "Good evening, Jii-chan."

He turned around fully expecting to see his granddaughter, but was a little surprised to see Usagi with her. He did little to hide his reaction as he addressed the duo, "Well good evening girls. I must admit that I wasn't expecting company."

"I know it's short notice and I didn't really ask, but is it alright that Usagi spends the weekend. Before you ask, she already asked her parents and they gave their permission." Rei explained quickly.

"It's fine Rei. I'm happy that you will be spending the weekend here." He said addressing the blonde with his second statement.

Usagi released Rei's hand and walked over the short old man and gave him a hug, "Thank you for always being so willing to open your home." She said happily.

"It's my pleasure." He said, smiling at the teen.

"Would you like to come to my room, Usagi?" The raven haired girl asked.

Usagi smiled and stepped closer to her girlfriend as she said, "Sure, I am a little tired."

Rei nodded and took the blonde's hand and focused on her grandfather, "Good night, Jii-chan" She said and started to lead Usagi to her toward her room.

"Have a good night you two." The older man called after the teens.

"We will Ojji-chan." Usagi called back just as they were about to round the corner to the hallway.

They were in front of their destination in a few seconds. Rei released the hand she was holding and opened the door for her girlfriend. She waited for her to enter before heading inside as well, closing the door afterwards. Looking over to Usagi, who was already sitting on her futon, and said "I guess we may as well get changed into our sleep clothes, I want to get an early start tomorrow." Rei walked over to her dresser to grab something to wear for the night. "I have some things I need to do around the Jinja before we can go out." She added as she retrieved her clothing of choice, a pair of sleep shorts and tee shirt.

Usagi smiled slightly, "I guess putting on something more comfortable doesn't sound like a bad idea." She said and produced her own set of clothes seemingly out of thin air. She stood up and began to undress, causing Rei to turn away quickly and Usagi to laugh, "You aren't acting shy are you?"

She shook her head, but remained facing the other way, "Of course not. I just don't want to spoil myself." She said and started for her bathroom before adding, "Besides, I don't think just seeing would be enough." She quickly entered the adjacent room, leaving the blushing blonde to herself for time being.

* * *

When Rei stepped back inside her room she saw Usagi was already laying comfortably on the futon in the middle of the room. "I'm glad you've made yourself at home." Rei said, announcing herself.

Usagi turned her head and looked at the dark haired girl, "I see this my second home already anyway." She said with a smile and patted the empty side of the mattress, "I even made sure to leave you enough room."

Rei shook her head slightly, but the smile on her face only grew. She walked over to the futon and sat the edge for a moment before lying down beside her girlfriend. "So did you want to watch something…?" She started to asked, when Usagi surprised her by quickly repositioning herself on top of her.

Usagi straddled the raven haired girl around her waist and smiled triumphantly down at the brunette beneath her, "I have you all to myself now."

Rei giggled, "That's something you never have to worry about; I'll forever be all yours." She said and reached her hand up to her girlfriend's face, cupping her cheek with her hand. Her smile only widened as she saw Usagi's eye sparkle with affection. She gently stroked her love's cheek and was going to speak again, when Usagi leaned down and captured her lips.

Usagi pulled back slight and stared into a pair of amethyst eyes, "If seeing isn't enough, how about using your other senses?" She quickly closed the distance again, crashing their lips together, not giving the other girl a chance to verbally respond. With each kiss the girls found themselves deepening their embrace, as well as scarcely coming up to breath.

Rei wrapped her arms around Usagi and swiftly turned them over, so she was now on top, but still not breaking their kiss. She freed her arms from underneath the other girl and tangled her fingers in the long blonde tresses. She could feel Usagi's fingers playing with the bottom of her shirt, almost tickling her as they occasionally teased her abdomen, but after a few seconds her actions become more brazen.

Slowly Usagi slipped a hand under the clothing she had previously been playing with. She lightly grazed her nails over Rei's toned stomach, enjoying the way her muscles react to her touch. After teasing her stomach a few seconds longer, Usagi's hand continued its trek upward until she reached her love's breast. After only a moment's hesitation she took the round mound in her hand, drawing a sharp breath from the girl above, but no protest, in fact she decided to follow Usagi's lead, untangling one of her hands from her hair before seeking out Usagi's chest as well.

She slowly felt her way down Usagi's throat until she could cup the other girl's breast in her hand and was amazed by how perfectly it fit in her hand. She gently squeezed and kneaded her breast causing Usagi to moan into her mouth. She was only touching her through her shirt, yet her response was so delightful it only spurred her to continue on. She finally pulled herself away from Usagi's lips and proceeded to shower kisses onto her neck, while continuing to massage her breast. She kissed every inch of flesh until she reached the sensitive point, just above her collarbone, her pulse point. She ran her tongue over the point before cover it with her mouth and lightly nibbled on the sensitive flesh, drawing a whimper of pleasure from the girl beneath her. Rei smiled for a moment before sucking on her skin softly so as not to leave a mark, at least she hoped. She could hear Usagi moan, which caused her to smile again as she continued not leave an inch of flesh untouched by her lips.

Usagi's hand that had been on Rei's hip slowly began to feel around until her fingers started to tug at the waistband of Rei's sleep shorts. Rei continued to kiss Usagi's neck until she felt her love's fingers slip into her shorts. Her breath hiked in surprise, she hadn't expected their make out session to escalade so quickly. A part of her wanted this to continue. She'd dreamed of making love to the Moon Princess again since she was forced to end their relationship all those years ago. The growing heat between her legs, not to mention how wet she felt, were enough of an indicator of how aroused she already was and truly she wanted nothing more than to feel Usagi's fingers inside of her, 'Heaven knows I'm more than ready.' She thought closing her eyes momentarily, '…But….'

With great effort, Rei released Usagi's breast and reached down to her love's hand in her shorts. Usagi immediately stopped when she felt Rei's hand on her arm. She slowly guided her hand out of her shorts, "We should…stop…" Rei said softly between heavy breathes and brought the Moon Princess' hand to her lips and kissed the back of her hand. She turned back to Usagi and gave her a smile, seeing the confusion on her face. She leaned down and kissed Usagi's lips tenderly once more, "I don't think I'll be able to stop if we go much further. I love you Usagi and I want our first time to be something special, not something done in the heat of the moment. I promise when the time is right, I will make sure that it's the most amazing night of your life."

Usagi found herself smiling as listened to her girlfriend, "I love you too Rei." She said and sat up slightly, getting in at least one more kiss. Rei finally got off of Usagi and relaxed beside her. Rei wrapped her arms around Usagi, holding her as they both simply relished the feeling of each other so close.

'There was no need to rush into sex.' Rei told herself as she rested her chin on Usagi's shoulder. She tilted her head slightly and placed a soft kiss on to the blonde's collar bone, causing her to sigh contently. "I want this to be how I fall asleep every night, with you in my arms Usa."

Usagi smiled even though her girlfriend couldn't see as she said, "That is something I can definitely look forward to." Usagi hugged Rei's arms tightly around her midsection and relaxed contently into the brunette spooning her.

The two girls simply lay in silence after they became comfortable, each girl just enjoying their closeness. After a short time pasted, Usagi suddenly burst into laughter, causing Rei to loosen her hold on the blonde and look at her curiously, "What's so funny?"

It took the blonde a couple seconds to regain her composure, "It's nothing. I'm just thinking about a conversation Luna and I had earlier."

Her curiosity peaked; Rei couldn't help but ask, "Now I have to ask, what exactly was this conversation about?"

Usagi bit her lower lip lightly, but it did little to suppress the giggles that continued to shake her body. "It's just…I told her that she didn't have to worry about my virginity." She said followed by another fit of laughter. Rei hugged her girlfriend a little tighter as she added, "I guess I completely underestimated my ability to control myself when I finally found myself alone with you."

Rei leaned up slightly and kissed her girlfriend's cheek, "You are just as irresistible, my Princess. I didn't stop because I wanted to…"

Usagi shifted quickly so she could look her girlfriend in her eyes as she spoke, "I know, I understand." A smile spread across her lips as she reached up and placed her hand on Rei cheek, "I can't explain it, except to say that I know. There's no need to worry."

The dark hair miko placed her hand over the other girl's, "I love you so much, you know that don't you?"

"I do, but I still love hearing you say it."

Smiling, Rei took Usagi's hand away from her cheek and brought it to her lips, kissing it lightly as she had done earlier. "We really should get some sleep now though. We have a full day ahead of us."

Nodding slightly and lowered her head on to Rei's shoulder when she added, "You're right, we wouldn't want to oversleep or anything."

Letting go of the Moon Princess' hand, instead choosing to run her fingers through her long golden tresses, "Good night, my Princess." She said quietly and rested her cheek on the top of Usagi's head.

A soft sigh escaped Usagi's lips as she wrapped an arm around the other girl's waist, "Good night  _my_  fiery Princess." She whispered sleepily.

Even as another smiled formed, Rei could feel sleep calling out to her, so with what she was sure to final moments of lucidity, she snuggled closer to Usagi before drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"I guess we are going to have to figure out where you are going to sleep." Michiru thought aloud.

"She can sleep with me." Hotaru said, only to turn beet red and look away from the group when she realized how that came out.

Chibi-Usa smiled and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "Thank you for the offer, but I don't want you to put yourself out, I saw there are plenty of rooms free."

"It wouldn't be any trouble and my bed is more than big enough for two people." Hotaru stated.

Haruka watched the two girls for moment, each silently making their case to each other, "I guess, we'll leave the two of you to decide. If you need help with another room, you know where we'll be Hotaru." She said and put her arm around her lover's shoulders and led her upstairs.

The pink haired girl sighed as she watched the two outer soldiers leave them alone. The taller woman may have said she was going to let them decide between the two of them, but she was really playing her hand, she was almost positive of that. She turned back to the dark haired girl and shook her head, "Fine, but if I think it's too troublesome to you trying to accommodate me, I'm going sleep somewhere else."

Hotaru smiled, "It won't be any trouble, I promise she said and began heading upstairs toward her room. The other girl followed behind her until they both stopped at her bedroom door. "Well, here we are again." Hotaru said and opened the door from the other girl to enter.

Chibi-Usa entered the dark room and look around it again. She was in here, just a few short hours ago, so she remembered it quite well. After a moment the lamp on the nightstand was turned on and her eyes looked over the bed. 'It certainly looked more than large enough for two people.' She admitted to herself.

"Do you have to wear to sleep?"

The future Princess looked over to Hotaru and shook her head slightly, "No, I don't."

Hotaru looked over the shorter girl for a few seconds when she nodded her head, "Ok, I should have something you can borrow then." She said and walked across the room to a dresser against the wall. After a short time of riffling through one of the drawers, she pulled out two sets of clothes and walked back over to the other girl and handed her some clothes to wear. "We look like we are close to the size, so these should fit just fine."

"T-Thank you." Chibi-Usa said quietly.

Another smile crossed the dark haired girl's lips as she said, "It's my pleasure." She held her clothes to her chest and looked at the door, "I'll change in the bathroom down the hall. You can just change in here, I'll be back in a few minutes." She said and was out the door before Chibi-Usa could say anything.

The pink haired Princess looked at the clothes in her hand for a moment before laying them out on the bed. 'They look comfortable, but I'm sure that's what Hotaru was trying to find, something comfortable.' She thought to herself. The top was a simply white tank that was paired with a pair of black sleep pants. With the clothes laid out, she went about changing into the borrowed outfit. It didn't take her long to become fully changed, so now she only had to wait until the other girl returned. She took a seat on the bed and could stop a thought that she may have been too hasty in asking to stay here. 'I let my wish to learn more about Hotaru become my focus. I think we've gotten to know each quite a bit already, but I feel like I'm missing a large part of her, that she is holding back.' She thought when she heard a knock on the door, causing her to smile slightly. 'Hotaru is a good person.' She told herself before speaking, "I'm fully dressed."

After a moment the door opened and Hotaru came back inside. She was wearing a similar outfit, except she was in purple and black. "Do you have a preference on which side you sleep on?" Hotaru asked.

Shaking her head, "No, either will be fine."

"Okay, if you say so." The dark haired girl said and walked over to the left side, where the lamp was currently lit. "I'll just take this side then." She said and proceeded to sit on that side, on the edge. Chibi-Usa nodded and walked over to where she would be sleeping, taking a seat before lying down. After a few moments she noticed the other girl doing the same. They both lay in silence for a short time until Hotaru's voice filled the quiet room, "You aren't uncomfortable sleeping in here are you?"

Chibi-Usa rolled on to her side to look at the other girl, "No, I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I really just didn't want to be any trouble. All of you were kind enough to let me stay here. And…" She trailed off, looking down, away from the other girl's eyes that reminded her so much of her mother's.

"And…?"

She bit her lower lip lightly as she looked back up, "And…I don't mean to do it, but I sometimes…sometimes I find that I cuddle up with anyone that sleeps in the same bed with me. Please let me apologize in advance if I do that to you, I don't know why I do it, I just do. So if I do, I'm sorry." The pink haired girl rambled, feeling her cheeks get warmer the more she rambled on, but only seemed to make things worse. She closed her eyes and sighed as she waited for the other girl to respond. Her eyes shot open when she heard laughter coming from her direction.

"You were worried about that?" She asked and continued to try to stop herself from laugher further.

"It's not funny." The future Princess pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It kind of is." Hotaru said with a smile as she observed the pouting girl. Taking pity on her, she reached over and touched her lightly on her forearm, drawing her attention, "I'm sorry. I promise, I won't laugh anymore." She said sincerely and added, "You don't need to worry, Princess. I'm your protector remember and if that means I need to be your cuddle pillow, I'll be that."

Again Chibi-Usa could feel her cheeks becoming warmer, so she promptly turned over again and faced the wall, "Umm, thanks." She muttered quietly.

Hotaru smile again and rolled on to her back, "Good night, Princess."

"Good night, Hotaru-chan." Chibi-Usa replied back and closed her eyes, hoping for a peaceful slumber.

* * *

" _Small Lady!"_

_The pink haired girl lay on a white marble bench, which was surrounded by a beautiful garden of flowers. The young girl is wearing a white dress with moons outlined in gold around the bust. She was curled up comfortably and sleeping peacefully, using her hands as pillows._

" _Small Lady!"_

_The young girl stirred slightly, but didn't wake, clearly content to remain in her own world, oblivious to everything else._

" _Small Lady!"_

_She was finally startled out of her slumber by someone shaking her. She's looks around quickly, almost worriedly, until her eyes fall on a familiar face and she lets out a sigh of relief, "CereCere?"_

" _You fell asleep in the garden again, my lady. Your mothers sent us out to find you." The pink haired girl said with a smile, before standing up fully and bringing her wrist to her lips. "I've found her, we are in the garden." She lowered her arm and looked back to the Princess, "Please don't go off without one of us to protect you, we are your guard and your safety is our responsibility."_

_Small Lady sat up and flattened out her dress, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep out here, I just wanted be somewhere quiet and I just love how peaceful the garden is."_

_Sailor Ceres nodded, "I know, but one of us can always be at your side. We need to ensure…"_

" _She's fine, so don't worry about it."_

_The pink haired Sailor Senshi frowned when she was interrupted. She quickly turned around and addressed the other girl, "I'm aware that she is fine, JunJun. I just want to make sure nothing happens in the future."_

" _CereCere is just a worrywart. Palla."_

" _And you take things too easy, PallaPalla. Or would you like to answer to Mars if anything were to happen to the Princess." Sailor Vesta said, announcing herself._

_Small Lady got off the white bench and stepped over the group of soldiers, "Mama isn't that scary." She said with laugh._

" _Not with you, but Mars is really scary sometimes." Sailor Juno said and shuttered as she remembered something._

" _Who's scary?" A voice said from behind the quartet._

_Small Lady ran forward quickly and hugged the person who just appeared. "Mama! You're not scary, at all." She said and looked up at the dark haired woman._

_Diana dropped to one knee and looked into her daughter's eyes, "Thank you, love." She said and kissed the top of the young girl's head. "I'm glad you're safe." She whispered as she pulled back. She stood up fully again. "Let's head back inside the palace, Serenity wants to see you as well." She said and offered her hand._

_Small Lady smiled happily and reached to take her mother's hand, but grabbed nothing. She looked at her mother to see why she took away her hand, but when she did, she saw the image of her mother break apart as though she were brittle. She backed away, stumbling to the ground as she did. "Mama…" She whispered brokenly as her eyes swam with unshed tears. She watched helplessly as her mother became dust. She looked around frantically, "Sailor Quartet!" She called, but saw they were in the same state as her mother. She scrambled to her feet and ran to her mother, reaching out a hand cautiously, "D-Don't leave me mama. I-I promise not to scare you again. I promise!" She yelled, openly weeping now as she finally touched her mother's arm. She could only watch in horror as she crumbled completely as soon as she touched her. Small Lady froze as she felt her whole body go numb. She dropped to her knees and collapsed to the ground in tears._

* * *

"Wake up. Chibi-Usa, wake up."

The pink haired girl tried to push away the hand on her shoulder, but the hand persisted in its effort to shake her. Begrudgingly, Chibi-Usa squinted her eyes slightly, only to shut them a moment later as an unwelcomed light caught her vision. She blinked a few times trying to adjust to the light from the lamp beside the bed, not really remembering where she was, until her eyes fell on the girl standing over her. "Wh-What?"

Hotaru looked noticeably worried, "You were having a nightmare. I've been trying to wake you for a few minutes now. I was just about to get Haruka-san or Michiru-san."

Chibi-Usa sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hands, "I'm sorry…" She said quietly.

The dark haired girl sat down beside the other girl and placed her hand over Chibi-Usa's that lay on the mattress between them, "You don't need apologize. I was just worried." She said and paused for a moment before adding, "Do…Do you want to talk about it?" She looked at the girl beside her to see her reaction, though sadly she couldn't completely see her face due to the shadows created by the lamp. She could see her shake her head slightly though, causing a frown to fall on to her lips. 'If she wasn't going to talk about it directly, maybe I can find out what's bothering her, by ruling some things out…' She thought before asking, "Was it a bad memory?" Another shake of her head indicated that it wasn't a memory, so Hotaru asked again, "A premonition?"

At that question Chibi-Usa turned her attention completely to the dark haired. With her eyes swimming with unshed tears she finally spoke again, "I pray to the Gods it is not."

Hotaru let go of the hand she was holding and put that arm across the pink haired girl's shoulders, "You don't have to be scared here, we wouldn't let anything happened to you."

Again the Princess shook her head, "Not me…everyone else."

She felt the shorter girl rest her head on her shoulder and Hotaru held her a little tighter. She didn't say anything for a few minutes as she held the other girl comfortingly, but she knew she couldn't just let their conversation end there, "When you say  _everyone else_  you mean…?" She asked, leaving the end of her question open for the other girl to finish.

Chibi-Usa was silent following the question for a few a couple seconds, but eventually she found her voice, "Mama…Mother…the Quartet… _everyone_. They'll all put themselves in danger because I'm not there." She raised her head and looked at Hotaru, "And now I've put everyone in danger here too."

Hotaru's eyes widened and she shifted quickly to look at the other girl fully, "What do you mean?"

She shook her head slightly as she said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. The other night when that monster hurt you…he knew me, Hotaru. He recognized me." She took a deep breath before pleading, "Please Hotaru…please don't tell anyone. I don't want to worry everyone."

The dark haired girl looked at her sadly and shook her head slowly, "Princess…I can't do that. Yours as well as Usagi-san and Rei-san's protection is our top priority. If I have knowledge of danger to them and you, it is my responsibility to tell everyone."

She looked at the dark haired girl with desperation in her voice she said, "Please Hotaru. I'm still not a hundred certain that they are who I think, it's just a feeling."

Hotaru placed her hands on the pink haired girl's shoulders as she said, "If your feelings are as accurate as Rei-san's usually are, I trust them."

Chibi-Usa shook her head, "What if I'm wrong and this is something else? I just want to be sure first. Please just wait until I'm sure."

Hotaru stared into the girl's eyes in front on her; she could see that she was still silently begging her, 'She is stubborn. She's not going to back down, but I can't either. There's only one way to end this stalemate.' She lowered her head after a few more seconds, "I will not say anything…" She began to say, but cut off when someone slammed into her, not expecting the contact at all she hastily grabbed on the girl. The momentum caused them to both still fell back onto her bed; Chibi-Usa sprawled on top of Hotaru.

"Thank you." Chibi-Usa whispered into the other girl's shoulder.

Hotaru sighed quietly and loosened her hold as she added, "For the time being,  _only_  for the time being."

The future Princess quickly began to untangle herself from the girl beneath her. She moved her hands to either side of Hotaru and propped herself up to look the other girl in her eyes, "That's all I ask." She said with a smile. Hotaru smiled in return, though with less enthusiasm. She didn't completely trust her voice, so she simply nodded. They stayed in that same position for a few moments, until Chibi-Usa suddenly turned beet red realizing the awkwardly intimate position they were in. She quickly pulled away and repositioned herself on the edge of the bed again. "I'm sorry."

After a couple seconds, Hotaru was sitting beside her again, "It's still late, we should get a little more sleep."

Chibi-Usa nodded, "Yes, you are right. I don't feel as though I've gotten much sleep." She said and stood up before walking around the bed, to when she'd initially fallen asleep earlier. The darker haired did the same and went back to where she was sleeping. As soon as her head hit her pillow, Chibi-Usa spoke once again, "Good night. And thank you again, Hotaru."

"Good night and you don't need to thank me." Hotaru said and reached for the lamp beside the bed, shutting it off. Hotaru lay on her back silently staring up towards the ceiling, but not really looking at anything. She'd just lied to the girl was trying to become friends with and she couldn't help but feeling guilty. She could hear the girl's breathing beside her even out, meaning she'd likely fallen asleep, but only just, so she continued to lay silently. 'I'll make sure she's asleep for a little while, before getting up.' She told herself as she allowed her breathing to even out as well, just in case.

* * *

Rei yawned and stretched one arm above her head, finally waking up from a peaceful sleep. A smile spread across her lips as she felt the arm across her chest, tighten its hold. She groggily opened her eyes and turned her head to her left. Her smile only grew wider as her eyes focused on the Goddess beside her. The mess of blonde hair that lay on her shoulder as well as the weight she felt there told her where Usagi's head was. She reached over and gently moved her hair away from her face, not wanting to wake the peaceful girl. Once her face was no longer obscured, Rei's eyes took in the beauty sleeping so serenely, "You are truly a goddess gracing us mortals with your presence." She whispered.

As if responding to Rei speaking to her, Usagi moaned groggily and reached her hand up to her face and wiped her eyes sleepily. When she pulled her hand away, she opened her a little and took in her surroundings a little bit at a time, but her eyes soon found themselves focused on the amethyst orbs already staring at her, "Good morning."

Rei smiled, "It is a good morning with you here." She said and leaned forward slightly, giving her girlfriend a quick kiss. She pulled away and laid her head back on to her pillow, "I must confess that I'm disappointed I didn't even get to wake you with a kiss. That is the proper way to wake a Princess isn't it?"

Usagi closed her eyes for moment and sighed as she inched herself closer to the darker haired girl, nuzzling into the crook of Rei's neck, "Give me a couple minutes and I can grant your wish."

Rei laughed lightly, "As much as I would love to cuddle in bed all day, I do have some chores to attend to before we can go out."

Usagi pulled away from her girlfriend enough to look her in her eyes, "You have to get up now?" She asked, sporting a small pout.

The miko smiled at the other girl knowing that under nearly all circumstances she would have given to her with that look alone, but putting off her duties wasn't really an option. So, with no warning she quickly moved forward, closing the small gap between them crushing their lips together. A muffled groan escaped Usagi's lips at the unexpected contact, which Rei took full advantage of and slipped her tongue into her Princess's mouth. At the same time Rei reached a hand up and brought it to the back of Usagi's head, holding the other girl in place gently as she continued to explore her mouth, until she heard a soft moan from the blonde. She pulled away with a smile on her face that only mirrored by Usagi. "I do." Rei said quietly before untangling herself from her girlfriend and getting up.

Usagi's brow creased in confusion as she watched the dark haired girl stand up and walk away from the futon. After a few moments, her mind finally caught up to what Rei said and why she left her in bed alone. "You're still mean to me." Usagi whined, now wearing a full pout, she flopped on to her back and sighed.

Rei already had her hand on the door to her closet when she looked back at her girlfriend and saw how dejected she looked. She shook her head slightly as she walked back to her futon. When she reached the head of mattress, she knelt on the ground and leaned down and cupped the blonde teen's cheeks in her hands. "The sooner I get my chores done, the sooner I'll be all yours. I promise." She said and gently stroked her cheeks with her thumbs.

Usagi stared up into amethyst eyes and allowed a smiled smile to spread across her lips, "I know you have your duties to attend to at the Jinja. I don't want you to neglect your chores; I was just hoping you could stay with me a little longer. And I didn't expect you to be such a tease." She said, unconsciously looking at Rei's lips.

"Then it had my desired effect." She said with a smile.

"And what was that?"

"To distract you, my Princess." She said and quickly leaned down, capturing the other the girl's lips in a quick kiss before pulling away just as quickly. "Now, I really do need to get dressed so I can finish everything quickly."

Usagi nodded her head slowly, which prompted Rei to stand once more and walked back to her closet. Usagi rolled on to her stomach and propped herself up slightly on her elbows so she could better watch the other girl select her red and white kimono she wore while working at the Jinja, when a thought struck her. "Do you have a kimono I can wear?"

Rei turned around as she asked, "Did you want to work too?"

Sitting up she said, "I can help you finish even faster."

The miko smiled at the thought of Usagi as a shrine maiden, "I'm sure you could, but you don't need to. I won't take long, just relax in the meantime. Or maybe take a shower."

With a content sigh Usagi said, "A shower does sound nice. And I can use your shower?"

"Of course." Rei confirmed.

Usagi looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Ok, I guess I can do that, but I'll be expecting follow through with your promise." She stood and walked over and stopped in front of Rei.

One eye brow raised at the other girl's statement, "Promise?"

Usagi shook her head, "Yes. That you would be all mine afterwards." As soon as the words left her mouth she step forward, closing the small gap between them and placing a quick kiss on the other girl's lips before pulling back and walking out of the room without another word.

Rei stared at the door for a few moments before shaking her head slightly and whispering, "Of course, it was a promise, Usa."

End Ch.9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to treat to a little fan service in the form of a small make-out session with Rei and Usagi. I didn’t originally plan on doing anything like that yet, but it was too tempting to pass up and thought it would be nice surprise for everyone that has been so patient with me.
> 
> This chapter actually changed a lot since I started writing it. It had a lot of the same basic scenes, but it isn’t what intended initially, like stated above. That’s not too important though in the end, since it just pushed back a couple things I wanted to this chapter into the next. So anyway, please leave me a review so know that I haven’t lost everyone’s faith after so long :)
> 
> Also....Hii-Jii-chan = Great Grandfather


	10. I Really Never Stood a Chance

~~~~****~~~~  
Chapter 10 – I Really Never Stood a Chance  
~~~~****~~~~

Hotaru had been laying as still as possible for what she figured had to be at least fifteen minutes. Chibi-Usa had made no sign that she was going to wake up anytime soon, so she realized there was no point in waiting any longer. Hotaru slowly slid her legs over the edge of the bed until her feet touched the ground. She moved as carefully as she could as she slid out of her bed and was able to fully separate herself from her mattress. She quietly padded across the carpeted floor to her door and noiselessly exited the room.

Despite being clear of the room, Hotaru still moved down the hall as stealthily as she could. It wasn't a long walk to the older women's room, but since she was trying to be a silent as possible it did take her a few seconds more than it normally would have. As soon as she was in front of her destination, she quickly knocked on the door lightly. She didn't know if her guardians were still awake, but had little doubt one or both would hear her at the door. A moment later the door opened revealing Michiru.

The older woman looked at the younger girl curiously, "What is it Hotaru?"

Hotaru looked back down the hall for a moment before meeting Michiru's eyes, "Can I come in? I need to talk with both of you about something." She said quietly.

"What's up, Hotaru it's pretty late?" Haruka asked, announcing herself from behind her girlfriend.

The dark haired girl turned her head slightly to look at the other woman, "We have senshi business to discuss."

The older women immediately became serious at the mention of their duties. Michiru opened the door wider and motioned for the younger girl to come inside. She looked around for a moment, "Chibi-Usa isn't with you?"

Hotaru shook her head, "No, I'm here without her knowledge. This pertains to her though, so if you could close the door." She said quietly and paced a line back and forth as she watched Michiru shut the door silently. With the door closed the two older women looked at the teen expectantly. Hotaru stopped and addressed the two women, "Ok, we had only been asleep for a little while when Chibi-Usa woke me up, because she was having a nightmare. When I finally woke her up, she was upset by the dream, but I got her to talk to me about it a little." The younger girl paused for a moment before finally saying what worried her, "There is some threat to the royal family in the future."

"What did she say?" Haruka asked quickly.

Hotaru lowered her head slightly as she spoke, "It was something that I've had on my mind since the first real conversation I had with her. I asked her how she came to the past and she said something about running away from someone bad, like I told you both at the hospital. Well, it might be even more than that."

Haruka leaned forward, "What are you trying to say Hotaru?"

The younger girl took a deep breath before speaking. She was going to betray Chibi-Usa with the next thing she was going to say, but this wasn't something she could keep from the two women that took her in so easily. "The other night when we fought and I got hurt, she told me that the youma that grabbed her said something and it's got her worried. He said that he knew who she was. Chibi-Usa thinks they came from her future." She explained and took a deep breath. She ran a hand through her hair and began to pace for a few seconds before fully focusing on the two women with her, "I think this is what Setsuna's message was referring to."

All three women become silent as each thought about the final words left to them by the Senshi of Time. Michiru was the first to break the silence, "You think when she said to  _protect Usagi and Rei's future_ , she meant Chibi-Usa was that future?"

Hotaru nodded, "I do. I mean don't parents think of their children as their future?" She asked and looked at both women for some kind of confirmation. Her fellow outer soldiers seemed to understand what she was saying causing her to nod in acknowledgment before adding, "Of course she clearly meant for us to ensure Usagi-san and Rei-san remain safe as well."

The trio became silent as each became lost in their own thoughts. While this new knowledge and Hotaru's theory did not change their mission, it did give them a little more direction however. If this enemy that they've encountered is something that the future Princess brought to them, she needed to kept away from those that sought to harm her.

"If possible, we should do everything we can to make sure she doesn't come near anymore fights, especially since she can't transform at all." Michiru said thoughtfully.

Haruka stood up and walked in front of the youngest amongst them, "Can you do that, Hotaru?"

The younger girl nodded her head, "Yes, I have every intention of not letting her leave my sight.

The tall blonde smiled for moment before looking to her lover, who gave her a quick nod, "Michiru and I can protect the Princess and Rei in any battles we may have in the future, as we've already done." She paused for a moment before adding, "It might be time we told everyone about the message Setsuna left for us."

Hotaru looked down when she heard the senshi of skies mention talking to the other girls, but looked up as she spoke, "While I don't disagree, I would like to wait a little longer. I don't want them to worry about this yet, especially when they just got together."

Haruka looked at the teen curiously, but it was Michiru to speak up first, "What is it Hotaru? Is there something else?"

Running her hand through her hair the senshi of death began to pace nervously as she did earlier. She took a deep breath before focusing on the two women who'd been her guardians since her father passed away, "I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone what she told me and I've already betrayed her trust now." She paused and took another steadying breath, "Explaining this to everyone would be an even worse betrayal. I promised her time and I plan of giving her that. I knew that I could trust the both of you with this because we could keep this quiet. So, for the time being if we could just keep this between us, I would appreciate it."

The two older senshi looked at each other for a few seconds, "We don't need to say anything yet. Just keep her away from any danger and we'll worry about Usagi and Rei." The blonde stated.

"Thank you and I will." Hotaru said quietly and moved to hug both women. When she stepped back from them she spoke again, "I should probably get back. If Chibi-Usa wakes up, she'll wonder where I am." She began to make her way to the door, when Haruka's voice stopped her.

"Keep us informed if you learn anything else."

Hotaru nodded, "I will, I promise." She said and left the room.

Once she was in the hall she released a deep sigh before starting her trek back to her room. She was glad they both understood where she was coming from, but she didn't really expect any less from them. It wasn't the first time they kept information from the inner guard and it probably wouldn't be the last either. It didn't take as long to return to her room as it did to leave because while she was being quiet, she wasn't being anywhere near as cautious about making any little sound. She quickly made her way inside and back to her bed. She looked at the pink haired girl for a moment, she still seemed to be soundly asleep, to which she was thankful for. As quietly as possible she slipped back into bed and lay motionless for a few minutes, all appeared to have happened without the other girl noticing she was gone, until Hotaru heard the rustling of blankets beside her as she settled back into her bed.

"Where were you?" A sleepy voice whispered.

"I had to use the bathroom." Hotaru replied quietly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Hotaru could make out a hand coming to the other girl's mouth as she yawned, nodding her head afterwards. The room fell silent again until Chibi-Usa spoke up again, "I just wanted to thank you again for keeping what we discussed earlier just between us. It really does mean a lot to me."

Hotaru was happy the other girl was turned away from her because she knew her face was betraying her. She closed her eyes, "You can trust me. Whatever you tell me, you can trust me." She felt the other girl shifting on the bed, but she didn't think anything of it, until she felt an arm lay across her chest and a body press against hers. Hotaru looked to her right quickly and saw the future Princess snuggled against her contently. She immediately felt her cheeks aflame and before the pink haired girl could notice, she looked in the other direction, "I thought you said you cuddled in your sleep?"

"Did I say that?" Chibi-Usa muttered sleepily.

Hotaru could still feel how warm her cheeks were, so she remained turned away as she spoke, "Yes, you did." She mumbled quietly.

Chibi-Usa looked up towards the other girl's face, but was met with an obscured view from her perspective, behind her hair. She lowered head slightly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed you'd be comfortable lying with me like this." She said and started to pull away. "I just…"

The dark haired girl finally looked at the other girl as she said, "I didn't…I didn't mean that I wanted you to keep your distance. I would have never suggested you stay here with me if I was concerned about that." She sighed as she tried to think of what exactly she was trying to say, when her eyes caught a pair blue eyes studying her. She held her gaze for several seconds before speaking again, "It's fine, I just didn't expect it is all." She released a relived sigh when the pink haired girl nodded. 'I'm undeserving of any affection from you, Princess.'

"I did warn you." Chibi-Usa said lightly and returned the position she was in before she became concerned that she was making the dark haired uncomfortable.

Hotaru smiled as she said, "You did and I remember telling you that I'd be your cuddle pillow if you needed it. I guess I'm being a poor pillow, but I promise to be better." The dark haired girl then proceeded to drape her arm over the other girl's shoulders and hold her against herself. She could feel Chibi-Usa reposition herself slightly in order to get more comfortable.

The future Princess sighed contently as she rested her head on Hotaru's shoulder. She was a little anxious when she rolled over and felt nothing but blankets where she knew Hotaru had been sleeping earlier, though she didn't want to admit that to her companion. She didn't like to be alone after having a nightmare and it seemed as though she had one every night in this world she was unfamiliar with. Being close to someone helped though it admittedly made her feel weak to have to depend on someone else like that.

" _It isn't a vulnerability that you should rely on others."_

A small smile spread across her lips as she remembered the words her mother said to her one night. 'Mother is so wise and always seemed to know exactly what to say to make me feel better.' She thought to herself, but thinking about her also made her feel heavyhearted. Hotaru began to think the pink haired girl had fallen asleep once again, but she unexpectedly began to speak again, "I just miss…I miss the world I know." Her voice was quiet and a little hoarse.

Hotaru could feel the other girl's hold get a bit tighter as she spoke. Her broken voice caused her heart to ache for the other girl. The only person who would know how to return her to her rightful time, was gone. She didn't know much of time travel and certainly didn't know how to reach the Gates of Time, but if Chibi-Usa could travel to the past there must be some way. "I know you miss your home, but we'll do everything we can to help you get back there, but until then you can trust all of us to help you adjust to life here however we can." She could feel the other girl nod, but not say anything. "Try to get a little more sleep." She said and paused as an idea struck her, "I think there's something we can do when we get up that you'll enjoy."

Chibi-Usa nodded again, "Okay." She mumbled quietly. She closed her eyes as she yawned, becoming aware of how tired she still was.

"Good night again." Hotaru said lightly with a small smile and went about trying to fall back asleep herself. It didn't take long for both girls to fall asleep again, as neither had gotten much that night so far.

* * *

Rei wiped her brow as she stepped out of the Shamusho. She'd just made sure they were fully stocked on talismans and charms for any visitors that day. She was working as quickly as she could to finish all the chores she knew she had for the day. She'd already swept the steps, offered an Omikuji to Kami, did some general tidying up of the grounds, and then the task she'd just completed. She allowed herself a moment to breathe after all the work she'd already done. 'I just need to offer a prayer to Kami-sama.' She told herself as she made her way over to the Suzu, near the entrance of the shrine.

As Rei stepped up to the bell when she saw some movement out of the corner of her eye, causing her to pause and look in the direction she saw something. She caught a glimpse of white and blue robes moving behind the building she just left. Rei left the Suzu for the time being and pursued the guy she'd been meaning to have a conversation with for a few days, but something always seemed to stop her. She had time at the moment though and she had every intention of getting to the bottom of Yuuichirou's behavior.

As soon as he was in her line of sight, she could see he had nearly reached the main shrine, so she called out to him, "Yuuichirou!" Her voiced immediately got his attention because he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "We are going to have a talk."

Yuuichirou turned around fully, "I really need to get back to my chores." He said and started to turn around, but Rei quickly spoke again.

"They can wait for a couple minutes, this can't." She said firmly. Rei watched him for a few more seconds to make sure he wasn't going to try to duck out on her again. He eventually lowered his head in defeat, causing Rei to release a relieved sigh and looked around briefly to make sure they were alone, "I want to know what's with you lately. You've been acting really strange."

The man took a step back as he said, "I-I don't know you're t-talking about."

Rei glared at him, freezing him in place, "Don't even think about denying it. I know there's something going on, there has been since I came back home. I thought we were on good terms, I apologized. So what changed?"

Yuuichirou looked away from the miko's challenging gaze, but didn't attempt to escape again. He remained silent of several seconds, nearly prompting Rei to ask him again, but he finally spoke, "I saw the two of you…"

Her brow creased in confusion, "What?! What on Earth are you talking about?"

"You and Usagi-san, I saw you and her…" He said, trailing off at the end.

A look a realization crossed over her face, "When?" She asked simply, not denying anything.

Yuuichirou seemed to have trouble maintaining eye contact because he found a point off to his left to stare at as he spoke, "When you returned the jinja and were leaving with Usagi-san."

Rei immediately thought back to when he was referring, 'That was just before Chibi-Usa arrived…'

~~  
 _As they reached the exit to the main shrine they stopped. "Usa, do you think we should…you know…act…normally in front of Jii-chan?" The darker haired girl said awkwardly._

_"Because he doesn't know about us yet?" Usagi questioned._

_"…Yeah." Rei said quietly and paused before adding, "I mean…I want to tell him, just not yet…"_

_Usagi removed her arm from around her girlfriend's waist, "I understand." She said with a smile._

_Likewise, Rei removed her arm that rested cross Usagi's shoulders. Instead, she took her Princess' hand in hers, "Thanks." With that the two girls walked out of the jinja, not noticing a young man step out of a room near where they stood moments before._  
~~

'I was careless; I should have sensed someone nearby…' She shook her head briefly at the thought and focused the man in front of her again, "You were nearby." Rei stated rather than questioned. Yuuichirou nodded and Rei crossed her arms expecting him to say something, but he didn't, so she addressed him again, "So because I'm with Usagi, you've been acting different?"

"At first." He answered quietly.

"And that means…" She said, prompting him to finish what he was saying. He remained silent once again and it was starting to aggravate the miko immensely, "Just spit it out already!"

Yuuichirou looked around, as though he was trying to find something to focus on something other than the annoyed looking girl in front of him. Eventually whether of his own accord or not his eyes met Rei's, "The other night I saw Usagi's cousin stayed overnight…with you…in your room."

"What are you…?" She began to ask when a disgusted look crossed Rei's features and she put her hands her mouth, "Eww…just no…Are you seriously suggesting…?" Rei shook her head quickly, "I can't even tell you how many manners of wrong that is…" The dark haired girl shook her head fiercely again, trying to clear away any images Yuuichirou's statement conjured up in her mind, "Kami-sama I think I'm going to be sick." She turn away and took a few steps away from him, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths.

Yuuichirou looked at the raven haired girl's reaction and it seemed clear that he had jumped to the wrong conclusion, "I guess I was wrong…"

Rei turned back to him quickly, still wearing the disgusted look, "You think?! Firstly she's too young and secondly…" She had to nearly bit her tongue to stop herself before she could blurt out that she was her daughter. That would be a statement that would be far too difficult to explain away. "Secondly, I would never betray Usagi." She found herself pacing in an effort to calm herself down, but it couldn't completely do it and she was still irritated her that he could come to that conclusion, "God…how could you even think that?!"

"I'm sorry okay. I guess I just wasn't thinking straight." Yuuichirou replied quickly trying to settle the girl down

"If you have some kind of issue with Usagi and I don't go making up ridiculous assumptions that you have no clue about, it only makes you look like a fool." Rei said angrily quickly moved past the man. She didn't expect him to say anything, at least he wouldn't if he knew what was good for him, but his next words stopped in her tracks.

"I really never stood a chance did I?"

Rei kept her back to him for a couple seconds, but eventually sighed before turning around. She could see sadness in his eyes, but she her gaze didn't falter. She stared at the disheveled man, not entirely sure what to say to him, 'There's no point in saying anything other than the truth.' "No, you didn't. It was always Usagi and will always be her." She said calmly. Unsurprisingly it was Yuuichirou that was the one to break their staring contest. Rei looked to the ground as a thought crossed her mind, "You aren't going to say anything to Jii-chan, are you?"

"I haven't said anything yet, so why would I now?" He said, looking up through his bangs.

Rei nodded at his response, but each remained silent, creating an awkward silence. Rei sighed and turned around, not really wanting to prolong this conversation any longer, "I'll…uh…leave you to finish the rest of your chores then." She then quickly made her way into the shrine.

* * *

Chibi-Usa could feel herself being drawn back into a state of wakefulness, but she did her best to fight it. She felt so comfortable and warm that she didn't want to wake just yet. She breathed in deeply and relaxed into the smell of lavender and the faint scent of lemongrass. She could feel herself slipping back into a peaceful slumber when the dark haired girl defeated her efforts to fall back asleep. The pink haired girl frowned when she felt the warm body beside her begin to move. She tightened her hold in an effort to stop any further movement, but it seemed to have the opposite affect…

"We should get up." Hotaru said quietly.

Chibi-Usa groaned in protest and turned her head slightly burying her face into the blankets and mattress next to Hotaru's arm and said something indiscernible.

Hotaru laugh lightly at the other girl, "I can't understand what you're trying to say with your face hidden like that, Princess."

The pink haired girl lifted her head and look up to meet a pair of regal purple eyes, "I said that I don't want to. It's too comfy here." She said and lowered her head back on to the bed. There was something incredibly pleasant about her current position she really didn't wish to end that just yet. Despite her initial hesitation, she was glad she stayed with Hotaru. She couldn't help feeling as though she'd grown closer to the other girl, even with her nightmare interrupting their sleep.

Hotaru smiled though the other girl couldn't see it, "I'm sure it won't be much longer until Haruka or Michiru come to get us up either way, but if want to stay like this until they do that's fine. Of course, you won't find out what I was thinking of doing today if you don't let me get up and get ready…"

Chibi-Usa looked up quickly, "What do you mean?"

"You'll have to let me up if you to find out." The dark haired girl said with a smirk. Hotaru could see that she was contemplating what she said. It took a few seconds, but eventually she loosened her hold and rolled on to her back, completely detangling herself from the senshi of death. Being able to move freely, Hotaru sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She was on her feet seconds later and at her dresser grabbing something to wear.

Chibi-Usa was still lying on the bed, but was now on her side watching the girl scurry around the room quickly. It was a bit amusing from her perspective, but she was clearly moving around with a set plan, certainly not aimlessly. She soon stopped and stood beside her bed, with a set of clothes in her hands.

"I'm going to get ready." Hotaru said and headed for the door, but stopped as soon as she reached it and turned back around, "Try not to fall back asleep."

Chibi-Usa was about to say something, but she was out the door before she could respond though. 'I don't think I can fall back asleep if wanted to. It's not as warm here anymore.' She thought and proceeded to stretch her limps. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she relaxed for a short time longer. She stayed in bed for several more minutes, not really tired anymore, though in all honestly she wasn't very tired when she protested getting up. She wasn't lying about it being comfortable, but it wasn't any longer. She vaguely remembered Hotaru saying something about wanting to do something before she fell back asleep, but she didn't really remember what she was talking about. It didn't feel as though much time had passed, but she soon heard the door opening and saw a freshly showered and dressed girl reentering her bedroom. She was wearing a short black skirt with black stockings and a dark purple long sleeve shirt.

"You aren't falling asleep again are you?" Hotaru asked with her hands on her hips

She shook her head before she decided to sit the edge of the bed, "No, I was simply waiting for you to come back after leaving me in suspense."

"Well as long as I kept you distracted enough to not fall asleep again." She said, causing Chibi-Usa to roll her eyes. Hotaru smiled as she sat next to the other girl, "So, I was thinking about showing you around the city. I want you to feel more comfortable here and if you know some of the sights, so to speak, it won't be as strange being here." She looked over to her companion hopefully, "Is there anywhere you want to go in particular? Like is there anywhere you might have heard about that you'd like to see?"

Chibi-Usa tilted her head to the left slightly and thought about the question, 'I would like to meet Mother's parents, but she should be the one to introduce us. I can't really think of my parents ever really talking about any specific places, just general things.' She shrugged as she couldn't come up with any ideas, "I'm not sure; maybe just wherever you think I should see will be fine, I'm sure. Just think of me a tourist you are showing around." She said happily.

Hotaru nodded, "Okay." She went over to her dresser and searched around for something for the other girl to wear, "I'm sure you don't have anything to wear out aside from what you came in right?" She looked over shoulder as she asked her question, though she already knew the answer. After Chibi-Usa shook her head, she continued her search for something she deemed suitable for the future Princess. It wasn't as easy as finding something to sleep in she found, she liked her wardrobe for herself, but she didn't think black was the color she wanted to see the other girl in. 'Why does it seem like all I own is black clothes?' She thought to herself and sighed quietly. She groaned and walked over to her closet, 'Maybe I have a dress that she'd look nice in.' She pulled open the doors and began riffling through dress after dress, but found the same problem in her closet as well.

Chibi-Usa noticed the other girl's annoyance so she spoke up, "Anything is fine, Hotaru. You don't need to stress over it, I'll wear whatever."

She didn't turn back as she kept her head in the closet, "I know, I just want…ah ha." Finally she came across a dark red dress that would work perfectly, it sat a little above her knees, but she was sure it would rest right one the other girl's knees since she was a little shorter than her. She pulled the dress out and held it out, 'Perfect.' She walked back to Chibi-Usa and handed her the dress.

When she took the dress she stared at it for a moment before smiling as a thought struck her, "It's sort of like something Mama would wear."

Hotaru nodded, "Red is her color isn't it?" She said and handed her some undergarments to wear.

"Thank you, Hotaru."

She smiled in return, "Now, you should go get ready. I'll be here when you are done." Chibi-Usa nodded and got up from the bed and headed to the door. Hotaru took her place on the bed as she left the room to head the bathroom, just down the hall. 'I should see if I can borrow Michiru or Haruka's credit card so she can have some clothes of her own.' With that thought in mind she hurried off to find her guardians to tell them of her plans for the day and to see if they'd lend her money. Since it was for the Princess she was sure they wouldn't have a problem with it.

* * *

Usagi closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she relaxed in the bubble filled tub. She decided to take a bath instead of a shower, since she figured she'd have the time. It was certainly relaxing, she didn't usually, well really ever have the time to do more than take a shower before school because she never got up early enough. It wasn't really her fault most of the time, half the nights she had senshi business to take care of so she got little sleep on those occasions and the other half well…on those times, she simply enjoyed her sleep. It truly mystified her how Rei could operate on the amount of sleep she got. Getting up before the sun is even awake does not work for her at all.

Usagi opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling above her before taking a deep breath and sinking into the water, completely submerging her head. She popped back up a couple seconds later and brushed her hair back out of her face. She was really enjoying herself, having used Rei's bath salts only made the experience even better. 'I think I'll be using Rei's bath more often.' She thought as a smile formed on her lips. She stretched her arms above her head and brought them down to rest on the sides of the tub.

She rested her head back again and inhaled deeply. She'd long since finished washing up, so without anything to keep her mind otherwise occupied it began to wander to the day ahead. They hadn't discussed any specifics of their plans for the day, but she wanted to make sure they did something that all three of them would have funny doing. She tapped her finger rhythmically on the porcelain as she thought about possible activities. 'Maybe we can go to a movie? Though I'm sure what's playing right now…I'm there must be something that we'll all like though.' She told herself.

'Oh, maybe we can go do some karaoke. That's for sure to make Minako happy, though Rei doesn't like it too much…' Usagi thought and frowned for a second, but quickly smiled again, 'I'm sure Rei won't mind too much if I tell her it's to cheer Minako up.' Usagi nodded at her own reasoning and grabbed the sides of the tub to help her stand. As soon as she was on her feet, she stepped out of the tub and reached for a near it. She dried herself before reaching into the tub and removing the stopper to drain the water.

She wrapped the towel around herself and tugged a corner inside, so it would stay in place as she went about fixing her hair. It took a little work to get her hair into her buns, but it was the easiest way she found to keep all up. It took about ten minutes until her hair was finally how she wanted it, so she accessed her sub space pocket and pulled out an outfit for the day. After getting dressed, she remembered that she was going to call Minako. It was still early by her normal schedule on non-school days, but decided to call her now anyway since she really had nothing better to do.

Usagi pulled out her communicator and quickly punched in a few buttons, "Minako! Minako, are you up?" She called into the circular device. She looked at the screen, but it was still dark causing her to sigh. "Minako! I'm going to keep annoying you until I know you're awake!" She paused for a second to see if there was any response, but the device remained quiet, "Mina! Wake up, you sleepy head!" She opened her mouth to call for the other blonde again, when she saw the screen start to come to life.

The screen flickered for a few moments before the face of a very sleepy looking blonde appeared, "U-Usagi…what on are you doing awake…?" The blonde whined, followed quickly by a yawn. She rubbed her eyes and tried to wake up a little more, but still looked as though she'd just gotten up, which was exactly what happened. She didn't expect Usagi to function as she alarm clock, but she went from sleeping peacefully to hearing the Moon Princess yelling at her to wake.

Usagi smiled at the question, "Rei-chan woke me up when she got up this morning. She gets up way too early if you ask me though."

Minako nodded and smiled into her communicator, "You're staying at the jinja then?"

"Yep, it took a little convincing of my mom to let me, but she eventually agreed." Usagi explained happily. "So, get ready and come over to the jinja! Rei's still doing her morning chores and I need you to keep me company until she's done and then we can go out as soon as she is done!"

Minako laughed at her friend, "I'm hurt you only called me because you are bored." She paused for a second and laid back down, closing her eyes, "I think I'll get a little more shut eye…"

"Don't you dare! Mina, we have a full day ahead of us and I want to spend every second of it having fun! And it won't be fun until my friend is here with me, so don't be lazy. You are already awake and I had the absolute best idea!" She feel silent for a moment and looked around as if she was making sure she was still alone, "We are go that karaoke bar you told me about that was opening." She whispered.

"Rei hates karaoke though…" Minako said cautiously.

Usagi waved her free hand dismissively at the other blonde's comment, "Oh, she'll love it! Now quit stalling and get over here." She paused for a moment and added, "I expect you in no later than thirty minutes."

"That's not even enough time to…"

"See you then, Minako!" Usagi said cheerfully and cut off communications. She smiled to herself, 'Today was going to be amazing!' She thought and exited the bathroom to return to Rei's room.

End Ch.10

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was still a bit of a wait for this chapter, but it certainly wasn't any kind of crazy wait like the last one, but I've come to realize that I will probably always take a while when updating, so all I can ask is for patience from everyone. I've had a lot of things going on in real life, but this story (all of my stories really) mean a lot to me and I will always update them eventually. So please have faith in that because I swear it's the truth. I did shorten the chapter from its initially planning, but I realized it made sense to add what I was going have occur in this chapter happen in the next chapter. I don't like to have the scenes splits to happen in a different time frame. So, the first scene annoys me because it was supposed happen in the last chapter but didn't. It's unimportant now I guess. So I'll just shut up about this stuff for now and get on to discussing a couple things about the chapter itself.
> 
> So, I snuck in there what Setsuna's note from the end of 'Her Battle' said. I wasn't going to say it directly for a while longer, but changed my mind since I had a lot of people asking me what she said in that note. So I hope that's a small treat :)
> 
> I used few terms most people aren't likely familiar with when describing the jijna, so here's what they mean... The Shamusho is a building off the main shrine (Honden), it's like an office or administrative building. Omikuji are the fortunes that Rei is seen tying to the trees at the jinja.
> 
> I'm sure no one expected that to be Yuuichirou's issue, well not entirely at least. Hopefully it wasn't too weird LOL, I gave tiny hints that he knew about Rei and Usagi, very tiny hint though. And that's all for now. I'd love to hear everyone's comments about this chapter, even if you just wish to complain about my inconsistent release of chapter LOL.


	11. Chance Encounter

It's Christmas and I have a long overdue present! A new chapter!

~~~~****~~~~  
Chapter 11 – Chance Encounter  
~~~~****~~~~

Usagi practically skipped back to Rei's room. She knew she probably would have looked foolish to anyone who might have seen her, but couldn't help herself though. She was happy and since the shrine was still closed for at least a little while longer, there really wasn't anyone to see her. She reached her destination and grabbed the door handle, quickly sliding the door open. As soon as she stepped inside, she was surprised to find Rei was already inside. Rei sat on her futon with her head down, staring at the floor boards in her room. She was still dressed for her work around the shrine, in her kimono. She didn't even make much of an indication she knew she wasn't alone any longer, so Usagi made her way over to her and stopped in front of her.

"Rei, why are you still in your kimono?" Usagi asked as she stepped closer to her girlfriend. Rei looked up to meet the blonde's eyes and as soon as their eyes connected, Usagi quickly closed the remaining distance between them and knelt in front the raven haired girl. She placed her hands on her knees and rubbed them gently with her hands, "What is it? What's wrong, love?" Rei covered her girlfriend's hands with her own and smiled at her, though she could still see how anxious her eyes were, "Rei, talk to me. Why are you upset?"

Rei sighed and squeezed her girlfriend's hands, "You remember Yuuichirou acting strange a couple days ago when Chibi-Usa first showed up?" Usagi nodded her head slowly, not exactly sure where she was going, but remained silent as she waited for her to continue. "It wasn't just the one time he acted strangely; he's been acting like that since then too. So, I ran into Yuuichirou and was finally able to ask him about it." Rei paused briefly and sighed again softly, "He said that he saw us and came to the conclusion that we were together now."

Usagi lowered her head slightly and looked off to the side, "Oh…what did you tell him?"

A frown formed on Rei's features when she observed her Princess' nervous reaction. She released one of her girlfriend's hands and brought her free hand to Usagi's cheek. As soon as she made sure she was looking at her, Rei stroked the alabaster skin beneath her fingers as she spoke, "I would never deny my love for you to anyone." Rei leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her girlfriend's lips. She pulled back and added, "It doesn't really bother me that he knows about us. I love you and I truly don't care who knows." Rei said and could see the questioning expression on her face before she could say anything, "That includes Jii-chan." Usagi nodded her head at her unasked question, "I didn't want to say anything immediately because I knew that would change things. He would have to set certain ground rules, but I don't care about that anymore honestly. I want to tell him because I don't want to hide our relationship anymore and I don't want him to find out another way…" She trailed off as she finished her statement. While Yuuichirou said he wouldn't say anything, she really didn't want to chance it.

Usagi smiled before nodding once again. She took Rei's hand that was on her cheek and squeezed it before intertwining their fingers. She brought her hand up to her lips and she kissed the top of it. Usagi looked into Rei's amethyst eyes, "You know I'll support whatever you want to do."

A large smile spread across Rei's lips, "I know, Usa. I was thinking since you're here this weekend, we could talk to Jii-chan while you're staying over."

Usagi grinned from ear to ear and lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the giggling miko. Rei was positive they would have found themselves sprawled out on her futon if she hadn't braced herself for the impact. A giddy Moon Princess was a force to be reckoned with. "I love you and I'm so happy that you think it's time to tell Ojii-chan about us." She whispered into her girlfriend's ear as she continued to hold her tightly. The two girls stayed in that same position for a short time longer, when Usagi realized that her girlfriend hadn't answered her question, "Wait…then what's wrong?" She asked pulled out of their embrace.

Rei looked away for a moment and took a deep breath before focusing back on the girl kneeling in front of her, "Yuuichirou…he said that he has feelings for me." The miko whispered under her breath, but she made sure to be loud enough for her Princess to hear her.

Usagi sat back a bit, putting a little distance between them. She was surprised by her girlfriend's revelation and didn't know quite what to say. She wasn't exactly jealous because that would imply that Yuuichirou had any chance with Rei and she knew that wasn't the case. Despite that she was still a little annoyed that he felt the need to tell Rei about his feelings, even if they are one-sided. If she'd taken the time to rationalize what happened, she might have had a different reaction, but the only thought going through her mind was that Rei was hers and she didn't like the idea that someone else had feeling for her, especially when that person was someone she lived with. So maybe she was bit jealous…

Rei could feel herself growing nervous the longer Usagi remained quiet. 'Maybe she needs me to reassure her that there is nothing to worry about.' She thought and brought her right hand under Usagi's chin and smiled as she stared into her Princess' cerulean blue eyes, "I'm yours forever and beyond, Usa. There is nothing and no one that could possibly separate me from you. I love you and only you; that will always be true." Rei declared. Her hand moved from its place beneath Usagi's chin to her cheek as she spoke.

Usagi's eyes sparkled with affection as a smile spread across her lips. She leaned into her girlfriend's touch, "I love you too. I just…" She closed her eyes for a moment before focusing back on Rei, "I'm sorry, I guess I was just feeling a little possessive."

The miko smiled at her girlfriend's admission and shifted her hand from the blonde's cheek to her neck. "You certainly have nothing to worry about, but I do find you incredibly sexy being all possessive." She said and began to lightly make circular patterns with her nails, causing goose bumps to form under fingers.

"You better get used to it; because I'm not going to let anyone else try to woo you." Usagi said determinedly.

Rei chuckled softly, "There is no competition out there that could even compare to you, Usagi."

Usagi nodded her head and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's midsection, resting her head on her chest. Rei immediately returned the embrace and held her girlfriend tightly against herself. The Moon Princess sighed contently as she listened to the rhythmic beating of her heart and held her a little tighter. Rei lowered her head and kissed the top of her girlfriend's head, causing her to look up a moment later and meet the darker haired girl's lips. Rei loosened her hold on her girlfriend and repositioned her hands so that one was now on the other girl's shoulder and the other on her neck. Usagi mimicked the other girl's hand positions, except her second hand was currently tangled in raven tresses. Usagi ran her tongue across Rei's lips seeking entrance, which she was quickly given.

As their kiss deepened, Usagi inched closer and closer to Rei until she was pressed against the futon, between the dark haired girl's legs. Rei moaned when Usagi unexpectedly brushed against her center in an effort to get closer to the raven haired girl. Either the Moon Princess didn't realize what she was doing and assumed she was moaning from their kiss or she knew intentionally teasing, though Rei suspected it was the former. 'I don't want to get off from Usagi's stomach unintentionally rubbing against my…' Rei's thoughts were interrupted by a groan escaping her lips, causing her to pull out of their kiss. She buried her face into Usagi's neck as she tried to catch her breath. After a few seconds she pulled away to look at her girlfriend, "I'm going to go crazy if you continue rubbing against me like that." Rei said with a smile.

Usagi looked at the other girl curiously for a moment before looking down and realizing what she must have been rubbing against. Her cheeks were considerably pinker when she met Rei's eyes again, "Sorry, I didn't…"

Rei silenced her Princess by capturing her lips in a surprising kiss. When they parted, the miko was the first to speak, "You never need to apologize for that." She said and ran her fingers through Usagi's hair, "I should probably change."

The Moon Princess leaned into her girlfriend one more time and captured her lips. She'd only intended on it being short kiss to send Rei on her way to get changed, but neither girl seemed to want to separate. Rei brought her hand to Usagi's cheek and caressed the skin beneath her fingers for a moment before slipping her hand behind her neck, lightly hold her in place. While Usagi's hands found themselves on her girlfriend's waist, her kimono was too thick to feel her warmth underneath, but she still held her firmly. They were so caught up in each other neither even registered the sounds of someone outside the bedroom door until they heard it slid open causing the two girls pulled apart quickly. Both girls turned to see who just entered without so much of a knock.

Standing in the open doorway was the Goddess of Love herself. She looked at Rei then to Usagi, noticing both girls were very flush and looked incredibly guilty if she didn't know any better. She slowly closed the door behind herself and stepped into the room a little more; raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, "Well don't stop on my account!" Minako exclaimed, wearing a mischievous grin.

~~~~******~~~~

Hotaru made her way down stairs as she searched for her fellow Outer soldiers. Neither were in their room, so she knew they were likely where she usually found them in the morning, in the kitchen. Her suspicions were all but confirmed when she heard noises coming from a short distance away. In a few seconds Hotaru was standing in the threshold of the kitchen and found the two women she was looking for. Michiru was pouring coffee into two mugs while Haruka looked to be getting something from one of the cabinets near the refrigerator. When she closed the door to the cabinet, the blonde noticed the younger girl standing a short distance away, "Good morning, Hotaru." Haruka said with a smile.

"Will you and the Princess be joining us for breakfast?" Michiru asked as she added cream to one of the mugs.

The teen shook her head, "No, but there is a favor I wished to ask."

"And what would that be?" Haruka asked as she took her mug from the counter and brought it to her lips, while she focused on the younger girl.

Hotaru leaned against the wall and focused on the two women who'd become her guardians, "Well it occurred to me this morning that there are some things Chibi-Usa needs that she doesn't currently have, especially since we don't know how long it'll be before we can get her back to her rightful time."

Michiru nodded, "That is very thoughtful, Hotaru. What did you have in mind?"

"Just some basics, like clothes and anything that may help her feel more at home in this time. I already wanted to show her around the city, so she'd feel more comfortable. So maybe it won't feel so foreign to her and hopefully it'll help with the home sickness she's going through." She paused a moment before adding, "I don't really have any money so, I was hoping both of you could help me with that."

Haruka placed her mug down and walked over to the younger girl before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her wallet. "How much did you want?" She asked counting through the notes in her wallet.

"Could I just borrow one of your cards? I think that would be easier." Hotaru asked as she looked at her blonde guardian hopefully.

The older woman paused her looking through her wallet and stared at the girl in front of her, "How much are you intending on spending?"

The teen looked down at the question, but before she could say anything, she saw a black credit card in front of her face. She quickly looked up to see Michiru smiling with the card her hand, "Thank you so much. I promise that I won't spend that much." She stepped forward and hugged the older woman before taking the offered card.

"Don't worry about that, use as much as you need to." Michiru said, laughing lightly as she spoke. Hotaru turned around and began to leave the room, when she heard Michiru speak again, "You shouldn't tease her. She was only doing what she can for the Princess."

She didn't wait to hear her reply. She did however quickly ascended the stairs with a smile on her face. It had taken a little longer than she anticipated, so she didn't expect that Chibi-Usa would still be getting ready. In a few moments she was in front of her room, so she didn't waste any more time before letting herself in. As she expected, Chibi-Usa was already inside sitting her bed with her legs crossed at her ankles. Her gazed traveled up the pink haired girl as she took her in completely. She looked great in the dress, though that didn't surprise her either, since she painstakingly searched for a dress that would suit her. However, what did surprise her was that she wore her hair down. She couldn't remember a time she'd see the future Princess wear her hair in any way but her normal 'rabbit' pig tails.

Her entrance drew the time traveler to look towards the door. A smile spread across her lips as eyes connected with the dark haired girl's. "I was just about to go looking for you." She said as she stood, flattening out her borrowed dress as she did.

Hotaru bowed her head slightly as she spoke, "Sorry about that. I realized we'd need money for what I had planned for today, so I asked Haruka and Michiru-san if they let me use one of their cards."

Chibi-Usa cocked her head slightly, "Why would you need money? I thought you just going to show me around?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, I intend to do that, but the idea came to me earlier that we could get you some clothes so you don't have to continue borrowing." Hotaru explained as she met her companion's eyes again. "I mean you look great, but I'm sure you'd like to pick out some of your clothes that you can call your own." She added with a smile.

A pink hue adorned the Princess' cheeks as she spoke, "I don't want you to go to all this trouble…"

Hotaru laughed lightly before cutting her friend off, "Please, Haruka and Michiru-san have more money then they'll ever know what to do with. That's not even mentioning the money Setsuna-san accumulated over the years. It's no trouble, believe me."

Chibi-Usa sighed softly, "I guess there is no convincing you otherwise?" She asked and received a quick nod of confirmation. "As long as we keep it reasonable and I want to thank Haruka and Michiru for their generosity."

Hotaru nodded again before taking the other girl's hand, "Okay. We can talk to them before we head out. There's much for you to see and I want to get an early start." She said and led her companion out of her bedroom.

~~~~******~~~~

"It's common courtesy to knock before you walk into someone else's bedroom, Minako." Rei huffed, though her embarrassment far outweighed her admonishing tone.

The Goddess of Love merely smiled, "I don't think I've ever knocked before entering your room before."

"Well that's usually because I know you're here." Rei countered, but when Minako simply smiled at her, she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What are you doing here so early anyway, Minako?" The miko asked finally.

An even larger smile played across the blonde's lips, "You can thank your girlfriend for waking me up and telling me to come over."

Rei looked at Usagi, who sat on the floor next to her legs with a grin and rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. After a moment she sighed quietly and shook her head slightly, "I'm going to change." She said as she stood up and walked over to her dresser across the room, where she already had her clothes laid out.

Usagi got up from the floor and stepped beside Rei as she gathered her clothes, "There's somewhere I want to go today, but we can talk about that when you get back." She whispered into her ear.

She could tell her Princess was up to something, but she disregarded the thought for the time being. She smiled and turned around slightly, "Sure." Rei gave her girlfriend a quick kiss, "I'll be back in a few." She took a couple steps before finding herself beside Minako. She surprised the other blonde by pulling her into a hug, "I'm glad you're here, Mina." Rei said quietly, but still it was loud enough for the Moon Princess to hear. "Despite your incredibly poor timing." She added as she pulled away, causing Minako to laugh lightly. Rei pulled away completely before leaving to get ready for the day.

As soon as Rei left, the Goddess of Love turned her full attention to the Moon Princess, "So, I thought you said you were bored?"

Usagi laughed at her friend's question, "Well I was…" She stepped back and sat on Rei's futon, only to be joined by the other girl moments later, "But when I was done getting ready, I found Rei in her room already."

"And you proceeded to make out…"

The Moon Princess could feel her cheeks warm as she remembered how her friend walked in on them, "That wasn't how it started. She was upset and after we talked about it, we kind of….well you know…." Usagi tried to explain, a light shade of red still coloring her cheeks as she finished.

"Why was Rei upset?"

Usagi looked down for a few seconds before focusing on her friend, "She talked with Yuuichirou earlier and he told her that he had feelings for her."

Minako was silent for a few seconds before responding with a simple, "Oh…"

Usagi looked down as she spoke again, "Yeah." After several more seconds of silence she looked up and stared at the door her girlfriend left through a short time ago, "I guess I didn't really think he liked Rei like that. I mean after all this time he never said anything."

The avatar of Venus leaned back a bit on her hands and stared at the ceiling, "I'm more surprised he finally said it."

The Moon Princess quickly turned to her companion, "You knew?"

"I don't just call myself the Goddess of Love just because it sounds cool." Minako said with a smile as she sat up straighter again. "Love is probably the strongest emotion we experience and my home planet is synonymous with it and therefore I am the embodiment of love. Because the emotion is so strong, love is not easily hidden, so yes I did know." She said and looked at her friend. She saw her nod, but not say anything, so she added, "It's not like Rei feels anything like that for him…"

"I know!" Usagi said quickly, cutting off her friend from whatever she was going to say. She lowered her head again, "Sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice like that." She paused for a few seconds before facing Minako, "I trust Rei, I do. I just found myself not liking the idea that someone lives in the shrine with Rei that harbors feelings for her and I guess I'm still adjusting to that fact."

The avatar of Venus nodded her head at the other girl's explanation, "I can understand that."

"You said you knew about Yuuichirou?" Usagi asked after a moment of silence. When Minako nodded her head, Usagi spoke again, "Did you…did you know how Rei and I felt before? Before everything that happened with…"

Minako smiled and put her hand on the other blonde's forearm, stopping the Moon Princess' train of thought, "I don't think it matters at this point, does it?" She asked with a laugh in her voice.

It was more of a rhetorical question, but Usagi still answered, "No, I guess it really doesn't." Both girls were silent for several minutes, until Usagi smiled and turned to her companion, "It's strange. It feels like it was so long ago that we weren't together, yet it really wasn't, but I can't even imagine going back to how things were before. It just feels right, you know?"

Minako smiled as she spoke, "You don't have to convince me. I already understand." Usagi nodded silently as the two girls allowed the room become silent, each lost in their own heads.

The avatar of Venus couldn't help but think what her friend's reaction might have been if she learned of her lingering feeling for her girlfriend. Much like Yuuichirou there was no chance of anything happening between them, but unlike him, she did actually have a history with Rei. She was sure the Princess didn't have her memories of their previous life, but she wasn't quite as fortunate. A frown crossed her features despite herself, 'Ignorance certainly can be bliss.' She thought sadly.

Usagi noticed her friend's dejected expression and became downcast as well. Her reason for inviting the other girl to come today was to cheer her up and she seemed to be doing the opposite of that. 'Here I am talking about Rei when she is feeling lonely because all her friends are in relationships.' She thought and took a deep breath, 'Well, the cheering up begins now!' She clapped her hands together, cause Minako to jump slightly, but also brought her attention to her friend. "So have you thought about what you to sing? It's been so long since I've been to a karaoke bar!"

"Are you really sure you want to do like the one thing Rei despises? This was originally supposed to be a day for the two of you wasn't it?" Minako asked seriously.

Usagi laughed at her friend's questions, "I already told you not to worry about that. She's going to love it too."

Minako wasn't completely convinced, "So you've already told Rei then?"

"Told Rei what?" Said girl asked suspiciously as she reentered her room. She knew from experience that when the two blondes got together anything was possible with them.

Usagi smiled and stood up quickly before closing the short distance between her and the raven haired girl. She took Rei's hand and pulled her back to the futon. Rei sat down where Usagi had been seated so she sat on her other side, so Rei sat between the two blondes. Now that all three girls were comfortable, Usagi decided it was probably best to tell Rei her plans. "We were just discussing what we should do today and I thought of the most awesome thing we could do!" She began excitedly, she was positive Rei would be okay with doing some karaoke, well mostly positive…

~~~~******~~~~

Hotaru stood in the doorway to the living room from the kitchen and patiently waited for her pink haired friend to finish with the two women who'd become her de-facto guardians. There wasn't much for her to contribute to the conversation, so she just let Chibi-Usa do as she wished, but as she expected Haruka-san and Michiru-san didn't have any problem with giving her money for clothing and other essentials. She shook her head and had to suppress a laugh when she once again thanked them.

"Princess, you don't need to thank us. It's our pleasure to help you in whatever why we can." Michiru said with a smile.

Haruka didn't hide her laughter as she said, "Clothes are kind of a necessity and since you don't have access to your wardrobe from your time, helping you with that is the least we can do."

Chibi-Usa nodded, "Still it would be very poor of me to not express my gratitude for your generosity; I was raised to have better manners than that."

A smile spread across Hotaru's face as she realized this back and forth had the potential to go on for some time and while it might be amusing to watch, there was a lot she wanted to accomplish today. She stepped up to the chair the pink haired girl sat in and placed her hand on the arm, "Sorry to interrupt, but we should be going. We have a lot to do it would be better for us to be on our way." She could see Chibi-Usa had turned to her, out of the corner of her eye.

"Did you want a ride to the store?" Haruka asked, already getting up from the sofa.

"I was thinking we'd just walk, since I know there are a few places relatively close by, but if you're offering I think that may be better. We would certainly have more options driving, rather than walking."

The tall blonde smiled and was already grabbing her keys from the bowl near the door, "I know the perfect place you can go then, Sunshine City. There are more than enough shops to find anything you're looking for."

~~~~******~~~~

In a grand room of pure white, two women, one in white and one in red, sat upon a lavishly covered ornate bed. "I miss her." The one in white said as she rubbed her hands together nervously.

The one in red reached out and placed her hands over the other woman's, "We will find her safe and sound, Serenity."

"What if they have her?" As the words left her lips she could feel her eyes stinging with tears.

"They don't." She said firmly and squeezed Serenity's hands a little tighter.

"How do you know, Diana?"

The dark haired woman looked down, "Because…" She took a deep breath and looked into the eyes of the woman she loved. "They would have used her against us by now."

The tears that had threatened to fall finally did at the truth in Diana's words. She was immediately pulled into an embrace. She buried her face into the crook of love's neck, "I feel so powerless. I just want our daughter back."

Diana hugged her a little tighter as she whispered, "I know. I know. I want her back too."

They stayed in the same embrace for some time longer, before Serenity spoke again, "Perhaps this is a crisis worthy of her?"

"Perhaps…though I think if it were, she would already be here…" Diana mumbled quietly, but a moment later her eyes lit up with an idea, "Or maybe it's time for another."

Serenity pulled back a little and stared at her curiously. Once she met her eyes a look of realization passed over her face, "It's dangerous. The cauldron isn't a place meant for the living."

"It's for our daughter. And you returned from it." Diana countered quickly, but quickly softened her approach when she spoke again, "I will come back to you and I'll have her star seed too."

Serenity smiled slightly and renewed their embrace, "I have no doubt in your confidence, love. I just know how dangerous what you are proposing is." There was before she whispered her next words, "I can't lose you."

Diana pulled back enough to see her love's face. She her cheeks with her hands and smiled, "You won't lose me." She whispered before leaning forward and kissing the blonde. It was not a kiss desire and lust, but rather one of love and reassurance. Diana pulled away slowly, until she could stare into Serenity's eyes, "I'll do a reading later. Everything will be fine; she can help us find our daughter." She said and again pulled her into a hug. She could feel Serenity nod against her chest before once more saying, "We will find our daughter."

~~~~******~~~~

"It's a bit overwhelming isn't?"

"I've never seen something like this place." Chibi-Usa muttered in wonderment. Her eyes caught a large illuminated object with the word 'Directory' on top of it. She walked over to it and examined the contents of the directory. Hotaru joined her moments later, "So this building houses hundreds of smaller shops?"

"That's right, but we're only interested in the shops in pink on the map of the mall. Those are the places that have clothes for girls." Hotaru said and looked over the diagram to see where they were in relation to the closest store. She pointed at the screen a moment later before saying, "Let's start with that one, since it's nearby. Hopefully they'll have some clothes you'll like." She said and took her friend's hand, leading them in the store's direction.

Even though she was being lead to the store Hotaru pointed out, she looked around at everything that she was being pulled past. There were people hurrying about from various shops. There was so much to take in that she was sure it would require another trip to this place. There were so many fascinating things about this time. Before she even realize it, they must have reached their destination because Hotaru had stopped; she didn't even see the name of the place they entered.

"Alright! I guess we should just get started then?" Hotaru announced, finally releasing the other girl's hand. The future Princess hadn't thought much of their link hands until the warmth was gone, but she found herself wishing it was back. Hotaru seemed none the wiser as she was scouting the store for possible clothing options for the other girl. "So we have one pieces over there." She said pointing toward them. "There are skirts and tops, that way." She said again pointing. She turned to the pink haired girl then and asked, "What about pants? Would you want a few pairs to give you some variety?"

Chibi-Usa smiled, "Yes, I believe that would be nice." She said and gasped in surprise when she was once again pulled along. The dark haired girl was a bit of a whirlwind going through the store. She would grab outfit after outfit, showing them to her for approval of course, but it wasn't long before Hotaru had a rather substantial amount of clothes over her arm and several more in her hand.

"We should probably try on some of the outfits, to make sure they fit you properly." She said and looked around for the changing rooms. "Ah, there they are." She said, more to herself than anything, before making her way toward them with Chibi-Usa trailing closely behind her. When they reached the doors along the wall, they looked around for an unoccupied room. One of the first rooms was empty, so Hotaru went inside and hung as many outfits as she could on the handle provided in the small compartment. She laid the remainder of the clothes on the bench in the back of the room. "I'll be right outside if you need any help with anything." She said as she turned to the pink haired girl.

"Okay, thank you." Hotaru smiled and exited to give the girl her privacy. After a few seconds, the future Princess called from behind the door, "What should I try on first?"

"Whatever you want, we have plenty of time." She responded. Hotaru leaned lightly against the wall adjacent the compartment her friend was occupying. She kept an eye on her surroundings as she waited from the other girl to emerge. She found herself a little curious which outfit she would choose, when she heard the door opening. She looked up and saw Chibi-Usa step outside wearing the off white sundress she picked out earlier.

"How does it look?" The pink haired girl asked nervously and spun around once. It was a bit of an adjustment to the style of clothes in this time, so even though she liked what was picked out, she wasn't as confident as she would have liked to be.

Hotaru looked over the other girl as she spun around. It was a simple dress, but it fit her very well. She smiled at how adorably nervous she seemed to be. There was no doubt in Hoaru's mind that she looked perfect, but it appeared that she needed some confirmation, "You look great." She said with complete sincerity.

Chibi-Usa smiled and flattened the dress slightly, "Thank you. I like this style of clothing. It reminds me a little of the clothes I would wear back home." She said without thinking, but as soon as her thoughts strayed to her home, her smile waned, "I think I'll try on the next one." She said with less enthusiasm.

Hotaru frowned but before she could say anything the other girl disappeared into the changing room again. She waited a moment before stepping up to the door blocking her from the girl from the future. Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly, "Can I come in?" There was no response for a few seconds so Hotaru began to take that as a sign that the other girl wasn't in the mood to talk. She was just about to walk back to where she was waiting, when she heard the door's lock open. Hotaru took that as her invitation to join her, so she quickly made it to the door again and slipped inside just as quickly. Chibi-Usa was still in the same dress as she had just stepped out in, sitting on the bench in the small compartment. The avatar of Saturn wordlessly approached the other girl.

"It's stupid." The pink haired girl said quietly and stared at her feet. She felt Hotaru sit down beside her, but the other girl didn't say anything, which she was grateful for. She was giving her the space and time to talk to her on her own pace. She took a deep breath and calmed her spirit, "I'm not a child, but I've also never spent any real time away from my parents. They were always there if I needed them." She looked down as she finished. She bit her lower lips lightly, 'Perhaps, I am nothing more than a child. Hotaru tries to help take my mind off my separation from the world I know and I can't keep it out of mind even for a few hours.' She looked to the girl beside her, "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to take my mind off everything, but I'm failing miserably."

Hotaru placed her hand on Chibi-Usa's forearm as she said, "You don't need to apologize for how you're feeling. That's something you shouldn't ever have to be sorry for." She gave her arm a small squeeze before continuing, "They are still here you know, Usagi-san and Rei-san. If you want to talk to them, we can do that easily." She held out her communicator for the other girl.

Chibi-Usa smiled and reached out her hands to the circular device, but instead of taking it, she closed her friend's hand over the object, "Thank you Hotaru, but it's fine." She lowered her hands back to her lap before continuing, "I don't want to bother them unnecessarily. I feel better just talking with you." She said allowing another small smile to spread across her lips.

"I'm glad I can be of some help, even if it is only to listen." The dark haired girl said heartily. They sat in silence for a short time longer, when there was knock on the changing room door.

"Is everything alright in there? The two of you have been in there for quite some time." A woman asked from the other side of the door.

"Yes, my friend just needed some help." Hotaru quickly responded. She looked back to the pink haired girl, "We'll just get the other clothes as well, don't worry about trying them on. The dress you're wearing fits you well, so I'm sure the others will too and even if they don't we can just return them." The other girl nodded and Hotaru stood up, "I'll let you get changed then." She said and began to make her way out of the small compartment. Just before she could leave she heard her name being called, so she turned around to address her friend, "Yes?"

"Thank you, Hotaru-chan."

The dark haired girl smiled brightly, "It's my pleasure, Princess." She said and left afterwards to give the girl some privacy.

Chibi-Usa found herself smiling as she proceeded to change. She never liked be called Princess, even if the term applied to her. Only her guard called her Princess with any regularity and that was often in trying to admonishment her. Though when Hotaru called her Princess she didn't mind, she actually kind of liked it. She stepped out of the dress and returned it to the hanger it was on before. She grabbed the borrowed dress she'd been wearing and began to get dressed again. She was fully dressed quickly, but as soon as she was done she stopped to look at herself in the full length mirror in the small room. She flattened out some wrinkles on the dress, 'I would give anything to return home, but I think I can make the most of being in this time.'

As soon as Chibi-Usa emerged from the dressing room, they made their way to the check out and paid for everything. Hotaru was pretty sure the security guard was watching them. Maybe he thought they were planning on stealing something or that they couldn't pay for all their items, but didn't like it too much. So, as soon as they were done she took her friend's hand as she'd done when leading her into the store and lead her away.

"Are we going to another clothing shop?" Chibi-Usa asked once the entered the mall once more.

"No, though I think you might need more…" Hotaru began to say another voice caught her attention.

"Chibi-Usa?"

The future Princess stopped at the voice she heard, 'I recognize that voice.'

Hotaru looked around to see who was calling out the other girl's name. When she turned around, she saw someone she hadn't expected to run into. The Prince of Earth was standing a few feet behind them. It had only been a little over a week since she'd last seen him, but he certainly looked a little worse for wear. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days and he just looked tired, very unlike she was used to seeing him.

"Chibi-Usa?" He again addressed the pink haired girl, prompting her to turn around now too. She didn't look entirely different from the girl he remembered. She was taller than the last time she had visited from the future and now that she was facing him, he could see that her eyes were different as well. They were no longer red, but they were a dark midnight blue color.

"King Endymion." She said calmly, curtsying slightly as she addressed him.

Mamoru was a little taken aback by how she was speaking him, but he recalled Usagi saying how she was different. 'Right this girl isn't my daughter…' He thought and took the girl in again without memories of the Chibi-Usa he knew. 'This girl seems to hold herself differently. She looks like her, but she isn't.' He had thought he prepared himself for seeing this girl, but he was mistaken. He couldn't even express his relief that she still existed because despite his pain, he was still happy she was standing in front of him.

The future Princess tried to maintain eye contact with the King of Earth, but he hadn't said anything since she spoke to him and it was becoming a little awkward. She turned to her companion, looking for some help. The man before her might be King Endymion, but like everyone she met in this time that she knew he wasn't that person yet.

Hotaru could feel the uncomfortable silence growing and realized she'd have to be the one to end this very awkward encounter, "I'm sorry, but we really should be going Mamoru-san." She said and reached over, touching the other girl's forearm. She tugged slightly on her arm, drawing her full attention, "It would be best for us to take our leave." She whispered quietly. Her hand made its way down her arm until she took her hand. She turned to Mamoru once more, "It was good seeing you again, Prince." She didn't wait for a reply back, though she wasn't entirely sure that he would even offer her one. She decided to separate Chibi-Usa from the incredibly awkwardness that was that encounter. She didn't expect to ever run into him in this place of all the places in Japan.

They had walked for several minutes before Chibi-Usa couldn't take the silence any longer, "I don't understand, Hotaru. I don't know what that was all about."

Hotaru stopped, they'd reached the Sunshine City Atrium, it was a beautiful spot filled with water fountains of varying color. 'A beautiful place for what might be an unpleasant conversation.' She again began to walk, but this time she led them to an empty bench that was a little out of the way. "The girl he remembers to be the future Princess had a connection to him. I'm sure this being the first time he's seen you, it was probably difficult for him."

'A connection?' She thought to herself, it didn't really answer her question, but it did make her think about her previous encounters with the man. As she thought back, she realized there was something in common with all those meets, a look in his eyes. She hadn't ever thought about before, most likely because although she'd met him many times, it was almost always just introductory, "That's why his eyes always looked at me like they were in pain. I never knew…"

Hotaru nodded. In a way she wasn't really surprised to hear that, but a part of her wondered why it had never come up. It was certainly understandable that Usagi-san didn't discuss her past with Mamoru or Endymion for that matter. If she'd never traveled to the past, there wasn't likely any reason to bring it up. "How much have Usagi-san and Rei-san told you about how their relationship started?"

Chibi-Usa took a moment and thought over the question, but didn't come up with much of an answer because as far as she could remember they never told her nor had she thought to ask. She'd heard about how their first meeting went, they'd told her about many experiences they shared during their youth, which was happening now, now that she thought about. She'd not really asked about how they fell in love or how they began their relationship. The only thing her mama ever told her was that she always loved her mother. 'Maybe since I'd never been in love with anyone, those questions never crossed my mind.' She thought after a moment, when she noticed Hotaru was still waiting for an answer to what should have been an easy question. The pink haired girl shook her head, "Next to nothing I'm afraid. I guess I just figured they were always together."

Hotaru smiled, "It would be nice if that were the case, but nothing is usually that simple." She said and paused. 'Should I really be the one discussing this with her…?' Hotaru asked herself. After a little more thought she came to the conclusion that she'd have to say something, since she was the one to bring it up in the first place, 'I'll just give the short version.' "In this time, Usagi-san and Rei-san are only at the start of their relationship. When you first arrived they had barely gotten together. Before that Usagi-san was with him."

"So she was with King Endymion and only just recently broke things off with him?"

Hotaru shook her head, "Yes, though he's not King yet and in this time he is Mamoru-san." She looked at the shorter girl for a moment, "It's probably something you should discuss with Usagi-san and Rei-san, since I don't know all the details myself. I was still a baby when the events were set in motion that brought them together. Much of what I know is fragmented from the visions I received as I was called to awaken again. What I can say is that it was a difficult road for them to find each other, but they are together now and both are really happy."

The pink haired girl nodded slowly, 'The girl that everyone knew before me wasn't some imposter. She was me, only not…' The time traveler thought. These new facts, coupled with what she'd seen and heard could only lead to one conclusion, but she still wanted confirmation, "You said something before about Mama's influence being responsible for me being able to read people…"

"Yes, the girl I knew couldn't do that, so I suspected it was due to being Rei-san's daughter that you inherited her mystical abilities." She explained

"So, the girl you knew before wasn't Mama's…" She trailed off as she said the question. It was difficult to think of her Mother and her Mama not being her parents, it certainly wasn't an idea she liked either. Her parents loved each other unconditionally, she saw it every day. There wasn't a moment she ever thought they weren't meant for each other.

"She was the daughter of Mamoru-san, or Endymion as you are familiar with, and Usagi-san." Hotaru confirmed.

Chibi-Usa barely recalled voicing her previous thought out loud, but Hotaru's words brought another string of questions into her mind. "If they were together, then Mama was a-alone?" She asked her friend as she felt her eyes begin to tear up.

Hotaru immediately noticed the future Princess looked to be on the verge of breaking down. She quickly hugged the pink haired girl, "Hey, don't think about that. Rei-san isn't alone; she is with Usagi-san. Your existence is proof of their union."

"You said they only recently got together though. So if something were to happen, I might not exist. What if that's what they are trying to achieve?" Chibi-Usa questioned frantically. Her mind was racing a mile a minute. If they hurt her parents in this time, she could disappear. 'What if they are after them, not me? Did I destroy everything my parents built together? If they just got together, they haven't done any of the things they told me about yet. They don't have the same protection in this time.' Her thoughts were cut off when she felt Hotaru's hands on her cheeks.

"That. Won't. Happen." Hotaru stated calmly. She wiped away more tears as they fell and said, "We were tasked with protecting you and your future. There is nothing we won't do to protect you and Usagi-san and Rei-san, I promise."

There was such a degree of certainty in the dark haired girl's words that she couldn't not believe her. No, it was that she wanted to believe her. She stared into the same deep purple eyes she found herself avoiding on multiple occasions. For her part, Hotaru didn't attempt to break their staring contest. It was a little unnerving; the intensity in Chibi-Usa's eyes, but that was also what made it impossible for her to turn away. There was an unwavering hope in those regal eyes, it was infectious. She smiled slightly, but it didn't last long as realized there was something more there, something far less optimistic than hope. Chibi-Usa breathed in an unsteady breath and closed her hand over her heart, looking away quickly. 'So much sadness…I shouldn't have done that for so long.' She could feel her eyes again threatening to release the tears she could feel building in her eyes, but this time for a different reason.

Hotaru seemed to get the wrong idea, because before she knew what was happening, she was being pulled into a warm hug, "Have faith in them. I do."

There was no way Chibi-Usa could get her voice to properly communicate, so she simply nodded against Hotaru's chest, 'So much sadness…'

~~~~******~~~~

"How much longer do you expect me to wait?!"

The blue haired woman scoffed at her companion, "Patience is a virtue, Heliodor…"

"You know full well that my time is running short. I swear I can feel Bixbite breathing down my neck." Heliodor snapped back.

The blue haired woman stood abruptly and grabbed Heliodor by his collar and slammed him into the wall. He quickly felt a cold blade against his throat, "Don't forget you made me assurances that you have yet to fulfill. If you fail, Bix will be the last of your worries. I will cut you down piece by piece." She said and released him, withdrawing her blade moments later. Stepping away, she returned to her previous seat. "Do not come here making demands. I am still formulating a plan that will succeed."

"If our alliance fails, your head will be on the line as well, Maxixe." Heliodor said as he held his throat.

"We will not fail if your information is correct."

There was a short silence before the man asked, "Should I send more Shades to gather information?"

Maxixe stood up before speaking again, "That is your choice. I'm not wasting any until my plan is ready." Heliodor nodded, but it was more to himself than anything. "I have somewhere to be, so I assume you can see yourself out?" She said and disappeared a moment later. Heliodor groaned after a moment before disappearing himself.

End ch 11  
~~~~******~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it’s been a long time once again since an update and I find myself having to apologize for that. I feel like a broken record apologizing for delays. Back when I began this sequel I would have hoped to be done with it by now, but I’m probably only about a third of the way done, which means I still have a ways to go. This chapter might have the feel that it didn’t advance much, but it really did. Though I can’t really explain that. One thing I can promise that I’ve always promised, this story will never be discontinued. I won’t bore you readers with a long author’s note, as I have done in the past. I would certainly love to hear anyone’s thoughts on the chapter, so leave some feedback in a review, let me know people are still interesting in reading this : )


	12. Vision

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 12 – Vision  
~~~~******~~~~

Rei looked at Usagi and tried to read why the girl was acting overly excited. She had a feeling that whatever her girlfriend deemed as being the most awesome thing might not really be all that she was hyping it up to be. "What did you had in mind then, Usa?"

Usagi smiled and shifted slightly so that she was facing Rei more, "After I thought about it for some time I came up with the perfect activity for us and when I told Minako about my idea, she was just as excited as I was." She began excitedly. Sure, she may have been exaggerated Minako's reaction a little, but Rei didn't need to know that.

Rei laughed a little and shook her head, "I gathered that, but you're still avoiding actually saying what you want to do."

"Right." She said and took a deep breath, "So, when I was thinking about what we should do, I remembered Minako telling me about a place she wanted to go to a couple weeks ago."

"Hey this is your idea, Usagi, don't drag me into this." Minako interjected with a laugh, looking around the miko beside her to her blonde friend, causing her to pout a little.

"Usa, just out with it already." Rei said with a sigh.

"Fine." The Moon Princess began and took a deep breath, "I thought it'd be a lot of fun for us to go to a karaoke bar!" Rei groaned noticeably and Usagi was quick to add, "There's a new place and it's not too far from the Crown either. We can get something to eat afterwards, it'll be fun!" She said and took her girlfriend's hand in her own.

Rei stared into her Princess' hopefully crystal blue eyes, 'That's just not fair. How can I argue when she looks at me like..?' She sighed and closed her eyes, "Alright." She heard her girlfriend squeal in delight. A moment later she felt a body collide with her, causing her to fall into the other blonde on her bed. She felt Minako's hands on her back, steady her which she was thankful for because was pretty sure it would be a mess of bodies on her bed otherwise. Rei smiled and rubbed her girlfriend's back, "I think I'm going to need to limit your sugar intact today, because you are already too hyperactive."

Usagi pulled back and sat back on her legs, giving Rei an opportunity to sit up fully again, "I'm just excited! I haven't gone out to a karaoke bar in forever!" She said bouncing a little.

Rei shook her head slightly, but a smile still crossed her lips at seeing how happy Usagi was. "Don't expect me to sing though." She said seriously. Even as the words left her mouth, she knew if Usagi looked at her like she just did, she would probably willingly sing an entire set.

The Moon Princess pouted again, she immediately wanted to tell Rei that she had a beautiful voice and she should sing, but she didn't want to press her into it. 'She sang so wonderfully at her school festival though.' She still remembered being completely captivated by her voice back then. She shook her head and practically jumped off the futon. She stepped in front of her blonde counterpart, "You'll sing with me though, right Minako?"

She smiled at her energetic friend, "Of course I will."

Again Usagi squealed in excitement. She grabbed her friend's hands and pulled the Goddess of love to her feet. Before Minako even realized what was happening, she found herself being spun around before she was on the receiving end of a zealous hug. Usagi used that opportunity to whisper, "I told you Rei would be fine with it."

Minako smiled again, "I didn't doubt your ability to persuade her."

Rei could hear whispering among the two blondes, but she didn't really pay any mind to it, instead she stood up and stretched her arms above her head for a moment before focusing on her companions, "If we are going to do this, we might as well get going." 'The sooner I get this over with the better.' She thought to herself when she saw her girlfriend practically bouncing to her.

Usagi grabbed Rei's arm and hugged the dark haired girl's appendage to her chest, "I'm ready." She said and extended her other hand to Minako.

For her part, the avatar of Venus stared at the offered hand in surprise. She didn't really expect to be holding hands with anyone on their way to the karaoke bar, but here was her Princess offering. 'She truly has the biggest heart of anyone.' Minako thought as she took her charge's hand. Almost immediately she felt herself being pulled toward the room's exit. As the three girls left, it crossed Minako's mind how strange they'd probably look to anyone, but her friends didn't seem to mind so who was she to question it.

~~~~******~~~~

Chibi-Usa and Hotaru had been sitting in the middle of Sunshine City for some time already. They'd parted some time ago, but they still sat silently together. She wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed and a part of her didn't care. Hotaru may have felt as though she was comforting her, but she was trying to do that same, though she didn't know exactly what was the cause of the dark haired senshi's sadness. She found herself determined to find out what it was. 'This girl has gone out of her way to comfort me through everything and I want to do the same for her.' Now she just needed to get her to talk about it.

She thought about how she even learned this information and realized she could likely decipher the cause if she focused on the other girl's feeling, but that really felt like it would be an invasion of privacy. Besides, she wanted her to tell her the cause, not learn it in an underhanded way. She knew this girl had suffered a lot from the conversations she'd already had with her, but she also knew there was more than she was letting on. There was just something about this girl…she didn't understand what it was but she felt compelled to learn all that she could about her, be it good or bad. With that thought, she realized there was still so much she didn't know about the other girl, such as her likes and dislikes. She had a lot to learn about her.

Chibi-Usa glanced at the girl beside her out of the corner of her eye; she looked as though she was still lost in her own thoughts. She felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips, forcing her to look down. There was definitely some force that drew her to her and as long she's given the time, she truly wished to learn what this feeling meant. She closed her eyes momentarily before fully focusing on her companion, "Hotaru, can I ask you something?" Chibi-Usa mumbled quietly.

After such a long silence, the time traveler's voice seemed to startle Hotaru a little, as she jumped a bit before quickly turning her attention to the future Princess, "Of course, what is your question?"

The pink haired girl nodded, but looked to her lap where her hands rested, "And if I have more than one question?"

Hotaru couldn't help but smile, there was trepidation in her voice and she wished to dispel her worries. "Ask as many as you'd like and as long as I have the answer, I will give it to you."

Chibi-Usa looked up, realizing the other girl was thinking she was going to ask more questions about her parents. "They aren't questions regarding my parents. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or feel like you are answering for them. I will talk to them soon, tonight if possible." She explained, causing the other girl to nod in understanding.

She was more than a little curious about question she might have then, "What did you want to ask about then?"

While she rubbed her hands together before taking a deep breath and saying, "You…?"

Her statement sound very similar to a question to Hotaru's ears and she would be lying if she were say she wasn't a little taken aback, "I'm not really that interesting."

"You are to me." As soon as the words left her lips, Chibi-Usa's eyes widen and she felt as though her cheeks were aflame. She quickly covered her face with her hands and stared at the floor in front of her feet. 'Why must I always say something weird? I wish I could just disappear…maybe if I stay like this, I really can.' Hotaru seemed to have the power to make her look like a fool, she certainly felt like her ability to embarrass herself increased infinitively around this girl.

Hotaru was sure a pink hue adorned her cheeks too. She was flattered, but knew Chibi-Usa was far more interesting than herself. The only thing that she found curious about herself was what her fate was in the future, but she was as clueless about that, as she was. She touched her forearm to get her attention. When she pulled her hand away from her, Hotaru could see her face was still very flush. She smiled when the other girl finally glanced in her direction. 'She's utterly adorable.' Hotaru found herself thinking, but moments later she tried to push that thought aside as best she could. 'Those kinds of thoughts aren't going to help you now.' She told herself and focused on Chibi-Usa once again, because she didn't want her to continue to feel embarrassed.

"Chibi-Usa?" Hotaru asked quietly, trying to her to look at her fully. However her first attempt was unsuccessful so she tried again, she'd try until she had no voice left if need be. "Chibi-Usa?" She asked again, but this time she gave arm a light squeeze when she realized she still had her hand there. Now the pink haired girl looked in her direction, so she continued, "You can ask me whatever it is that's on your mind. I may not think of myself as interesting, but don't let that stop you from ask your questions."

The pink haired girl nodded slightly. Her cheeks finally seemed to have mostly returned to their normal color, but there was still a nervous air about her as she spoke again, "I'm sorry. I'm just really bad at these conversations." She paused for moment before adding, "I know I said that before, but I think I've displayed that quite clearly to you now."

Hotaru again gave a light squeeze to the other girl's arm, trying to reassure her. She liked how she became so easily flushed in their conversations, but not at the expense of her feeling about herself. "You put too much pressure on yourself, Princess." She said and lowered her hand from her forearm to take her hand in her own. "No one is perfect, you don't need to be." She raised her hand and interlaced their fingers together, "I'm not going anywhere, so don't hold yourself back when you talk with me. You can tell or ask me anything and I'll still be here." She said with a smile.

Chibi-Usa stared at their hands without a word for several seconds before her thoughts seemed to slip past her lips, "You're warm Hotaru." It took her a second to realize she said that out loud, but she reasoned that either the other girl must not have heard her or she didn't care because the smile remained on her face. When she was drawn back to their hands because out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw…but it was gone in the blink of an eye.

Hotaru found herself captivated by the intensity in the other girl's eyes. It had taken her a little while to get used to their different color, but looking into them now, she couldn't imagine this girl without them. She could hear Chibi-Usa say something about her being warm and she became acutely aware that this felt too intimate for such a public setting. It was perhaps time to stir their conversation back on topic and find out questions she had, "So, what is it exactly you wanted to ask?"

Her words seemed to break whatever spell she was under. She blinked a few times to refocus herself, "It just occurred to me that there is so much we don't know about each other." She said and took a deep breath before continuing, hoping to not mess up what she was trying to say, "I know we've been getting to know one another, but I still don't know such simple things like what you like and what you dislike." She paused once again before staring intently into Hotaru's regal eyes, "I just want to know more about you." She said, hoping Hotaru won't ask for her to elaborate further. She wasn't comfortable talking about this connection she felt towards her, not yet at least. Besides, she'd probably just make some comment to humiliate herself further while trying to explain it.

The dark haired girl smiled, "Alright, as long as I get to learn more about you too." She smiled a little wider as she spoke. It seemed this had become something of a game for them and she was more than happy to play it with her because it was also to her benefit.

~~~~******~~~~

"This is going to be so awesome!" Usagi exclaimed. She seemed to be getting more eager the closer they got to their destination. She looked at her two companions and saw a very sober looking Rei. "You need to get more excited, Rei!"

The three girls had already passed the Crown, so they were only a handful of minute from the karaoke bar and through their entire walk, Usagi still walked with one arm linked with Rei and the other holding Minako's hand. The avatar of Venus would have thought she was trying too hard, but she knew that Usagi was just being herself. She knew it was her way of telling her that she was there for her and she was grateful to have such a kind hearted friend.

"I think you're plenty excited for the both of us." Rei said with a sigh. 'Why am I putting myself through this again?' She asked herself and looked up at the sky, as though she'd received some answer from the heavens. A moment later she was pulled out of her cogitative state when she felt lips pressed firmly against her cheek. She quickly looked at Usagi and saw her smiling brightly at her. She could feel warmth spread across her cheeks, 'Right…that's why…' She thought and smiled herself, though more subdued than her girlfriend.

Minako smiled at her friends actions, their feelings were so easy to see and while being near them was a little bittersweet it was also intoxicating and she could say without a doubt that the later was far more powerful. Perhaps it was because she is Venus, so love is where her strength lies, she didn't really know, but she felt like she could enjoy an existence without love for herself if her two friends continued to share a love this strong. She allowed herself to smile a little wider, until she gasped in surprise as she was pulled into a building. She looked around and finally noticed they'd arrived, she hadn't even noticed.

"So how exactly does this work?" Rei asked as she looked over the signs around the front counter.

Both Usagi and Minako did the same and read the signs; it was their first time there as well after all. It was all very modern, with the boards lit up listing room numbers and next to each room there was either a green 'Available' or a red 'Occupied'. Another board went over the various prices at what appeared to be an hourly rate.

"It looks like we need to rent a room for however long we intend on staying here." Minako said, looking over to the raven haired girl in front of her.

Rei nodded and approached the counter, "Can I have room twelve for two hours?" She asked and began to pull out some cash.

Usagi came up behind her, "You don't have pay. We can just split it."

"It's fine." She said already handing the money over, causing her girlfriend to pout, but Rei simply took her hand after the lady gave her the card to the room. She knew she would get over her paying quickly, probably as soon as they got to their room.

Minako trailed behind the couple by a few paces, content to simply watch her friends. It was strange to think about, but she could really see herself living off their love for each other. Of course she wished for someone of her own, but she was realistic about her chances of that happening…

Rei could almost feel her Princess bouncing as they reached their room, bringing a smile to her face. She slid the card into the reader and after a few seconds there was a beep and she could hear the clicking of the door unlocking. She quickly opened it and held it for her two companions to enter.

"This place is pretty cool, isn't it? I mean we get our own room and everything!" Usagi exclaimed excitedly. She quickly went about exploring the room, not stopping until she came to the karaoke machine itself. After a few minutes at the machine, Usagi's voice broke the short silence, "Wow, I can't believe they have them in here!" She exclaimed as she scrolled through the available songs and artists.

"Who are you talking about?" Minako asked, looking around the other girl to get a view of the screen.

"The Three Lights! They have a couple of their songs on here!" She exclaimed pointing at the screen.

"They just made it big, right?" Minako asked as she saw that they indeed had a couple selections.

"Yeah." Usagi said before pointing to a particular song, "Oh, let's do that one!" She exclaimed when she saw Rei taking a seat on the sofa in the room. "You should join us too, Rei! They are a group of three, so it'd only make sense for the three of us to sing it." The blonde reasoned.

"No thanks." Rei answered calmly and crossed her legs while she leaned back and made herself comfortable.

Usagi sighed, but decided that she'd rather pick her battles. 'If I find a romantic duet, you will be up here singing it with me.' She thought resolutely. "Fine." She said finally and turned to her blonde friend, "Are you familiar with this song, Minako?"

She looked at the screen a little closer, 'Nagareboshi he', "Yeah, I've heard it before."

"Okay." She said with a nod and went to grab two microphones. As soon as she had them, she handed one to Minako before looking back at the screen, "You ready?" With a nod from her singing partner she pressed her selection and brought her microphone to her lips and waited for the lyrics to display on their monitor…

Search for your love...  
Search for your love, Search for your love,

Kimi wa itsumo kagayaite ta  
~ You are always shining so brightly  
egao hitotsu chiisana hoshi  
~ Your smile is just like a tiny star  
taisetsu ni shiteta yo (eien no starlight)  
~ I cherish it very much (everlasting starlight)  
ano hi boku wa mamore nakute  
~ That day I couldn't protect you  
kuyashinamida kora e ta dake  
~ I held my tears of regret inside  
itami ga noku ru yo (wasurenai sweetheart)  
~I'm still feeling that pain ( I can never forget you sweetheart)

Search for your love, sora no suishou  
~ Search for your love, crystal of the universe  
Search for your love, nakanai de kure  
~ Search for your love, don't start to cry  
Search for your love, hontou wa  
~ Search for your love, I really  
Dakishimetai no sa  
~ Want to hold you close to me now

Rei sat back, intending to simply listen to the two blondes sing. She wasn't entirely familiar with the song they were singing, but it was catchy, she could admit that. She smiled at Usagi as she danced as though she were actually preforming in front of a crowded stadium or something. 'I'm glad she's enjoying herself.' She thought to herself. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary until her vision became blurry. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her sight again, but when she did, she saw a flash of three shadowed individuals in her mind's eye. She winced and grabbed her head, when she saw another image, this time of a single woman though she couldn't see who it was because again the person was shadowed. She leaned forward a little as one word made echoed in her mind, 'Princess.'

Kimi no kaori zutto (sagashiteru)  
~ Your strong scent, I'm always (searching for it)  
boku no koe yo todoke (aishiteru)  
~ Can you hear my voice calling out? (I love you)  
ima doko ni iru no (moonlight princess)  
~ Where are you now? (Moonlight Princess)  
boku no princess  
~ Our Princess  
kotaete, Answer for me  
~ Answer me (Answer for me)  
Imasugu, Answer for me  
~ Right away (Answer for me)  
Kotaete, Answer for me  
~ Answer me (Answer for me)  
Yasashiku, Answer for me  
~ So gently (Answer for me)

Tooi yo sora kakenuketeku  
~ Running through the distant night sky  
nagareboshi ni negau yo ima  
~ Now I make a wish on a shooting star  
aitai to sasayaku (tsutaete yo starlight)  
~ Whispering I want to be with you (Please tell this to her, starlight)  
toki ga sugite otona ni naru  
~ Time flies by quickly, I've grown up.  
boku no yatto kizu ita no sa  
~ I have finally realized that  
tarinai kakera ni (sobaniite sweetheart)  
~ The broken pieces are not enough (Please stay by my side, sweetheart)

Serach for your love, gin no unabara  
~ Search for your love, on the silver ocean  
Search for your love, fure wa tada you  
~ Search for your love, the ship floats adrift  
Search for your love, kuru o shisa ni  
~ Search for your love, in this madness  
Nagasarete yuku  
~ It will be swept out to you

Usagi's eyes drifted from the screen to Rei as she finished the chorus and immediately stopped singing. Her girlfriend was holding her head and she looked to be grimacing. She quickly turned to Minako, "Turn off the music, please." She hurried over the sofa and placed the microphone she still had in her hand down. "What's wrong?" Usagi asked worriedly and reached over, taking Rei's hands in her own.

Rei really wanted to open her eyes, but before she could she saw another image, an image of a woman, different from the previous one, because she stood among a devastated world devoid of life. All she could see was her outline in what appeared to be armor and that she was smiling in the chaos of a burning planet. She slowed her breathing and tried to will the image from her mind. 'That woman reminds me a bit of…' Her thought was cut off, when the music was finally shut off. She took a deep, though a shaky breath, before she allowed herself to open her eyes. Rei looked up and met Usagi's concerned cerulean eyes and smiled slightly, silently glad that the music was no longer playing. She leaned back and looked toward the ceiling, trying to get her thoughts together. 'That felt an awful lot like a vision from the Great Fire…'

She could feel Usagi squeeze her hands gently after a moment, "What is it, Rei? Are you okay?"

Rei looked back at her girlfriend and spotted Minako looking quite worried as well, as she still stood near the karaoke machine. She focused on Usagi as she said, "There's something about the words to that song…I saw glimpses of something…"

"An enemy?" Minako asked quietly as she made her way closer to the pair.

Rei looked over to her blonde friend and shook her head slightly, "I-I'm not sure…a warning perhaps or maybe a call for help, it wasn't very clear." She said honestly.

Usagi rubbed her hands over her girlfriend's, "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Rei gave her Princess a small smile, "Yeah." She said before leaning over and giving the other girl a quick kiss. She smiled a little wider as she pulled back, Usagi was truly her light; she always had the ability to make her feel better. She laughed lightly though as she admitted, "I don't know about anymore songs for me though."

"We don't have to stay here any longer then." Usagi said, already beginning to get up.

Rei shook her head, "The room's already paid for like another hour and a half, there's no reason the two of you shouldn't enjoy yourselves. I'll just wait outside or something." She said the last bit as an afterthought because she was sure she couldn't sit through another song, but she knew it would also give her time to decipher what exactly those images meant.

Usagi stopped her previous actions and turned to fully face her girlfriend, finally releasing her hands. She reached up and gently touched her cheek with the faintest of caresses by her fingers, "There is no way I could enjoy myself if I'm not with you. I'm much more concerned about you and if you can't stay here any longer then we should go back home. This…doesn't matter." She said seriously and leaned into Rei until her forehead touched hers. She stared intently into the darker haired girl's amethyst orbs, being so close she felt like she could really see into the other girl, "I know." She whispered. She didn't explain further because had a feeling Rei understood, but she did feel the need to close the small distance between them. She closed the gap, only shutting her eyes when her lips connected with the other girl's.

Minako watched her two friends even as she could feel cheek begin to warm. 'They may as well be in their own little world…' She thought, not with jealousy but admiration. 'Perhaps they are.' She was glad they could be so openly affectionate with each other, it wasn't something they were allowed in their past lives and with a love as strong as theirs, it must have been most difficult. After a few more seconds she forced herself to look away from them, her eyes focusing on the floor between her and the couple. It didn't feel right to watch them be intimate with one another, she felt like a pervert for watching as long as she did.

"Sorry Minako."

Minako looked up to meet the apologetic gazes of the couple, "Never apologize for loving each other. It's a precious thing."

"Minako…" Rei began to say as she stood up, but immediately swayed a little. Both Usagi and Minako were quick to react though, with Usagi steadying her with an arm around her waist and Minako took her arm that appeared to be reaching out to regain her balance. "Thanks." She muttered gratefully, as she looked between both blondes. She didn't move for a few seconds, as she tried to gain her bearings. 'I haven't felt like this since…' Her thoughts drifted to when she passed out following a previous reading, "Maybe going back to the shrine isn't a bad idea." She finally admitted. "I feel as though I've had an intense fire reading." She explained. It was the simplest way she could describe what she was feeling.

Usagi frowned in worry as she said, "Are you going to be okay?"

Rei could feel that only her girlfriend still held her now. She would have liked to tell her friend that she didn't need to be so worried, but her Princess needed reassurance, so she smiled and looked at her, "Yeah." She answered quietly. They began to exit the room, when Rei leaned her head to the side and whispered into Usagi's ear, "Just…don't let go of me."

"I promise." The Moon Princess was quick to reply and as if to further her point, she tightened her hold a bit.

Rei was hesitant to ask at the moment, but as soon as she was able, she planned to learn everything she could about the group responsible for that song.

~~~~******~~~~

"Since you also have your own questions, why don't we go back and forth? You don't mind if I go first, do you?"

"So, like the game, twenty questions." Hotaru commented without thinking.

The pink haired girl tilted her head slightly and looked at the other girl curiously, "Like what?"

Hotaru laughed, of course she wouldn't be familiar with that game, "Twenty questions is a party game that people play to get to know one another or determine their secret."

Chibi-Usa bit her lower lip lightly and looked down, "Yes, I guess it would be similar to that." She and looked up a moment later, "I'm not trying to force you to divulge any thing you don't want to share though, I mean I'm not probing for any secrets you may or may not have." She quickly tried to reassure.

"Relax." Hotaru said with a laugh as she put her hand over the other girl's. "I wasn't trying to suggest that, I promise." She said motioning with her free hand across her heart.

Chibi-Usa found herself looking down, away from her companion's eyes. 'Maybe this was a bad idea, I don't want to say or ask something that could end up hurting her somehow.' She thought to herself, but a moment later she felt Hotaru release her hand before she felt it under her chin, lifting her face to meet her eyes.

Hotaru couldn't help thinking the future Princess was acting more than little nervous. She seemed to be overly conscious of offending her, "Remember, I'm really awfully this whole friendship conversation starters too. So, if I say something stupid, just chalk it up to that okay?" She only received a cautious nod, so she knew the future Princess needed to hear something more. "You can't scare me off, Princess. You're stuck with me I'm afraid." She said, finally receiving a light laugh at her comment, "So, out with it, what's your first question?"

The pink haired girl had a ton of questions she'd like to ask, but she figured it would be best to start with something simple, "What's your favorite color?"

"Purple." Hotaru answered almost immediately.

Chibi-Usa smiled at her response, "It suits you I think."

"My turn now." The dark haired girl announced with a smile, "What's your favorite color?"

"That's easy, white." Chibi-Usa replied without missing a beat.

"I was almost expecting you to say pink."

The future Princess smiled, "I do like pink, but you asked what my favorite was. If you wanted to ask which colors I liked, well that list would be a lot longer."

She nodded, "What do you like to do in your free time?" Hotaru asked curiously. It wasn't her turn yet, but that didn't stop her from asking her question.

Chibi-Usa smiled at the question, "I think I may have sort of already answered that." She said and paused for a moment to see if she knew what she was referring to, but Hotaru appeared to still be clueless so she elaborated, "I like to spend time in the palace gardens. There's one particular spot, it's a bed of red and white colored tulips. It's so beautiful and peaceful there that I can stay there for hours." She paused as she remembered something, "Mother found me there one time and when I told her how much I loved it there, she told me what they meant, the flowers that is. The red in the tulip means true love and their white tips mean purity, so they represent the purity of true love." She closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself back there, but it wasn't as easy as that unfortunately. Eventually she opened her eyes and look to her dark haired companion, "Ever since Mother told me their meaning, they came to remind me so much of my parents and that gave me even more reason to love that place."

Hotaru didn't say anything right away, she didn't expect for her to divulge something so personal to her so easily. Because it was something she held to close to herself, she probably should have expected an emotional reaction, but she was still unprepared to see tears staining her face. It didn't seem as though she even noticed because she didn't do anything to wipe them away. It may have been a better idea to say something, but her body reacted before she mouth could. She reached out and gently brushed away the wetness with the back of her fingers.

Chibi-Usa jumped slightly when she felt the other girl touch her. It took her a moment to realize that she had been crying, she didn't even know it. She felt like such a crybaby, yet this girl did nothing but show her compassion. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the other girl's touch, at least until a few words slipped past her lips, "Thank you, Taru-chan."

"What did you call me?" Hotaru asked in surprise, even as a smile crossed her features.

Chibi-Usa shot open and she quickly looked down. She didn't even give herself the opportunity to see other girl's expression. She was sure her fair skin was betraying her because her cheeks felt like they were burning with embarrassment. She didn't know where the nickname came from; it just kind of came out without much thought. She didn't know if she had the courage to look at the other girl as she repeated what she said, "T-Taru-chan." She whispered under her breath. There was no immediate response, which caused her to become even more anxious, now she was sure Hotaru didn't like her coming up with a nickname for her out of the blue like that. They were really just beginning to get to know each other and even if she felt something in their connection, maybe it was just on her end? She felt foolish, so again she couldn't look at the other girl as she spoke, "I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from, but I won't call you that again."

"No. No. I'm sorry, I do like it." She said quickly, prompting a curious look from the pink haired girl, "I'm serious. I've just never been close enough to anyone that would refer to me in such a way. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression, I truly am glad" Hotaru smiled from ear to ear, it was the largest and truest smile Chibi-Usa had ever seen the girl wear and she caused, so she couldn't help a smile of her own from forming. "I have to admit that it's not fair for you to give me a nickname and for me not to give you one."

"I thought that was Chibi-Usa." The pink haired girl said with a laugh.

"But everyone here calls you that here, so it wouldn't be special." She explained, as though it was the most obvious thing, but it still caused the pink haired girl to blush.

After a couple moments of silence the future Princess suggested, "Well most everyone calls me Small Lady in my time."

Hotaru looked thoughtful for a few seconds before responding, "That sounds a bit too formal and if everyone calls you that in the future like you say, it still wouldn't be special." This time Chibi-Usa remained silent because it seemed clear to her that she wished to think of something on her own, so she waited patiently. At least a minute past before Hotaru appeared to come up with something, her eyes almost sparkled as she asked, "Would you like if I called you Rini?

"Rini?" Chibi-Usa asked curiously.

"Yes, it mean little bunny." Hotaru explained with a smile.

Chibi-Usa smiled when she explained the name. She knew it wasn't really possible for her to call her by her real name, because that would certainly led to confusion, especially if her Mother was present as well. She realized her friend was likely still looking for whether it was acceptable or not and she didn't confusion like she had earlier. "I think it's lovely." She said and scooted closer to the other girl before enveloping her into a hug. She didn't think it was possible, but Hotaru managed to completely take her mind off her parents and her worries about their enemy. Though she knew it was only short respite from everything, she was still glad she had Hotaru for that distraction.

End Ch. 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a little shorter than I usually write, but I figured everyone would appreciate a little shorter length than have it take months for it. The chapter mostly accomplished what I wanted. This chapter was very heavy on Rei, Usagi, and Minako, but that's how I always intended it to be. Of course the other scenes that didn't involve those three were scenes that featured Hotaru and Chibi-Usa. I like writing Chibi-Usa as a bit awkward, at least with her interactions involving Hotaru. She's on the cusp of something… Plus, I'd say it's best to enjoy these calm chapters before things get intense because it's coming… And I can guarantee you this will be the only time you see an English dub name used, it really does work for the situation created here, so I went with it.
> 
> I was originally going to have a scene with Ami and Makoto, but ended up omitting it because it didn't really make sense in this chapter. I'm sure I'll use what I wrote in another chapter, perhaps the next one, since they have appeared in a chapter for while…
> 
> For the translation for Nagareboshi he (To the Shooting Stars) I mostly referenced , but a couple lines in the translation sounded a little wrong, so I changed them slightly, but credit goes to that site for translation. And I'm aware that Rei being unaware of the Three Lights is different from canon, but it'd be fair to say that this story has diverged from canon quite a bit anyway. I can promise that what I do (change), I do for a reason.


	13. What has you so afraid?

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 13 – What has you so afraid?  
~~~~******~~~~

Hotaru pulled away from the future Princess and smiled. It was so easy, when she was so close to forget this girl wasn't the girl who had befriended her before. Still though there was a warmth she found herself enjoying almost irrationally so. Even as she told herself that she had no business projecting her feelings for the girl she knew on to this girl, it didn't stop her from feeling something for her. She was still drawn to the future Princess and that kind of worried her. It didn't seem possible that she could feel such a connection with someone again, but then this girl was still the future Moon Princess, just different. She sighed and looked down and shook her head slightly, these thoughts were confusing and were something she would need time to figure out.

She looked back up and caught her companion watching all the people rushing around. Her eyes had a brightness to them that caused her smile, she was glad to see such a pure expression on her face because she knew she carried a weight on her shoulders that she had yet to fully uncover. Her eyes soon caught the clock a short distance away, they'd been gone for a while now and while they didn't get everything she would have liked the future Princess had a significant wardrobe now, but it was they should probably leave soon.

"I should see if Haruka can come by and pick us up." Hotaru said, breaking the comfortable silence between the two girls. Chibi-Usa nodded in acknowledgement and went back to watching the people around them, but she didn't look as interested before, at least Hotaru didn't think so. She'd let that slide though for the time being as she looked at her wrist and tapped the small device until it came to life. As soon as it was on, she hit a few more keys on the screen and waited for the tall blonde to respond.

"What's up, Hotaru?" Haruka's voice asked through the device.

The dark haired girl brought her wrist closer to her lips as she spoke into it, "Are you free to come by and get us?"

"You're guys are all set then?"

Hotaru nodded, "Yes, we're good."

"Okay, I'll come by the same entrance I dropped you off at in say…fifteen minutes."

"Sounds good, we'll see you then." She replied and lowered her wrist before tapping on the device again, turning it off. She turned to the pink haired girl beside her. She was a little surprised to see her already looking at her and just as she was about to ask if something was wrong, she asked her a question instead.

"Do you think she'd take us by Mama's shrine?"

'I guess that's what was on her mind.' Hotaru thought, but quickly smiled as she spoke, "I'm sure that won't be a problem." The pink haired girl nodded, but remained silent so Hotaru decided to probe a little further, "Do you know what you plan to ask them?"

She smiled slightly before saying, "I have a couple questions in mind, yes."

Hotaru almost wanted to ask what the other girl had in mind, but instead she smiled, "They'll be fine you know. They've already went through a lot to get to where they are."

"You alluded to that earlier. I can imagine my mother being involved with someone else must have made things difficult."

"There's more to it than that though." Hotaru interjected, but quickly felt as though she put her foot in her mouth. This was not a discussion she should be having, it wasn't her place.

"Can you perhaps tell me some of what you're referring to?"

Hotaru looked down and played with the hem of her skirt nervously, "It really isn't my place to talk about their relationship, especially if it's something they haven't spoken to you about."

"Please, I feel as though I'm at a disadvantage. I know how they are in the future, but their teenage selves, how they are now, while they are similar, they aren't exactly the same. I don't wish to ask them something that would make me seem foolish."

"You couldn't, you know, ask them something foolish that is." She said softly, wishing to reassure the other girl, but she continued to wear the same pleading expression. She sighed quietly, 'I can't refuse her while she looks at me like that.' Hotaru stood and offered her hand to the other girl, "Come on, let's make our way outside for when Haruka-san comes."

Chibi-Usa stared at the offered hand for a couple seconds before looking up, into Hotaru's eyes in confusion, so the darker haired girl smiled and explained, "We can continue this once we're outside. I don't want us to be caught up in a conversation and not be ready for Haruka-san."

Chibi-Usa nodded quickly and didn't waste another moment before taking the other girl's previously offered hand. She allowed herself to be lead around the groups of people. She couldn't help but notice the place had gotten much more crowded. She was glad Hotaru knew where she was going because she was certain that she would get lost trying to find the way they came in. It only took a few more minutes before they were at the door that would lead them out of the building.

Once they were outside she saw Hotaru looking around before her eyes lit up and she pointed toward a bench, "We can sit over there and talk while we wait."

Chibi-Usa nodded and again found herself following the dark haired girl, until they both sat on the empty bench. As soon as both girls were situated, Chibi-Usa turned to Hotaru, "So what else were you referring to?"

'Right to it then…' She thought to herself before giving the other girl her full attention, "Well aside from Mamoru-san, we'd already seen the future with them as a couple, so it was kind of unquestioned. Of course, there was you…" She paused at that before correcting herself, "Well not you, but their daughter." She really didn't want the conversation to go in this direction, so she quickly changed the topic, "But like I said, that wasn't really the issue. It was out enemy that we were dealing with."

The pink haired girl immediately asked, "What enemy?" It was completely irrational to be worried about an enemy that had surely been dealt with already, if she would have thought about it. It was just coupled with her fear that her parents enemies in the future might be trying to destroy their future before it happens here and learning that some enemy played a part in them not being together, it was more than a little upsetting,

Hotaru took her friend's hand in her own when she saw how the other girl was reacting, "She's gone though; you don't need to worry about her." She paused for a moment as she thought of how to describe the woman they fought. "She was a part of our ancient past and she held a grudge against both of you parents." She paused for a moment to observe her friend's reaction. She looked like she wanted to know more, but she remained silent, so Hotaru continued.

"I don't really know the exact details, because I was still a baby, but I do know that she lured Rei-san into a trap and kidnapped her." She paused as she heard a sharp gasp from the girl beside her. "Perhaps your parents should tell you the rest. It's their story and while I would you the truth it'd be different coming from them." There was a car horn that interrupted any further conversation. Hotaru took the other girl's hand and gave it a light squeeze, "Anything that's still on your mind, just ask them. I'm sure they won't have a problem answering you."

Chibi-Usa nodded, "Thank you for…" She paused and smiled warmly, "…For everything really."

Hotaru returned her smile with equal enthusiasm, "It's my pleasure." She said and pulled the other girl to her feet and towards the waiting car.

~~~~******~~~~

The woman at the front desk gave them a strange look when they returned the key card for a room they'd only recently paid for, even asking if they were dissatisfied with their experience. Usagi and Rei stood a short distance from the desk, while Minako spoke with the lady working there, "No, it was fine. My friend began feeling ill, so we need to cut our session short."

"Oh…" She said and looked at the two other girls she remembered all coming in together. The dark haired one did look unwell, "Did you want a refund then? You only used a fraction of the time you paid for."

"No, that won't be necessary, but thank you. We'll just be on our way." Minako said with a smile and walked over to her two friends. "Ready?"

Usagi looked at Rei for a moment, before addressing the other blonde, "Yes, I believe we are." She said and squeezed her girlfriend's hand, causing her to smile slightly.

Rei was still mostly lost in her own thoughts as she waited with Usagi. She didn't like how weak she felt. At least she could mentally prepare herself for the aftereffects that could occur from a fire reading; this came out of the blue. Still she knew the cause, it was that song. She knew it wasn't random, everything she felt was purposely being conveyed in their song…

"Don't go off on your own, Rei."

The dark haired girl was brought out of her thoughts by her girlfriend. She turned to her and smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I got a little lost in my head there."

Usagi rubbed her thumb over the top of Rei hand, "I could tell." She said as a smile played across her lips again, but she grew more serious a moment later as she asked, "Anything you want to talk about?"

A part of her wanted to explain everything that was going on in her head, but it didn't seem right while she hadn't completely sorted it out herself, so she settled with saying, "Not yet. I want to do a reading before saying something that might not be true."

Minako perked up at what her friend said, "Don't stress yourself though. Your health is more important."

Rei turned her attention from Usagi to the other blonde with her, "I don't like that someone can get in my head like that. I should be stronger than that…" As she finished, she could feel Usagi tighten her hold on her hand, causing her to turn to her.

"We'll figure it out together." She said with a smile as she added, "There's no burden you need to worry about on your own any longer."

Rei smiled and nodded her head slightly, before leaning into Usagi and softly kissing her cheek, "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on doing a fire reading as we got back to the shrine or anything. Let's just get away from this place." Her two companions nodded in agreement, so they began to leave the building behind them. As they left the shadow of the karaoke bar, Rei took a deep breath of fresh air, it felt good.

Usagi watched her girlfriend carefully. She knew how good she was at concealing her true feelings, so it was with the utmost scrutiny she tried to find any signs of distress. Even though she couldn't find anything to worry about she still asked, "How are you feeling now?"

She took another deep breath before answering, "Better." She said calmly. She squeezed Usagi's hand a moment later, "I'm sorry for worrying you." She said quietly and looked at Minako, "I'm sorry I made us leave so soon."

"You don't need to apologize for anything Rei. I'm just glad that you are feeling better." Minako said softly and put her hand on her friend's shoulder, squeezing it lightly before letting her hand fall.

Rei nodded her head, but didn't verbally agree, instead choosing to comment on the fact that they had barely taken a handful of steps away the building they'd just left, "We should probably keep going. There's no reason for us to hang around here."

Usagi squeezed her hand a little tighter for a moment before speaking up, "That sounds like a good idea." So they began walking once more.

They were nearly a block away from the karaoke bar when Rei finally felt sure in her steps. Still, she was happy to have the steadying hold of her girlfriend, it made her feel more grounded and she was sure that wasn't just her imagination. She didn't know how she lived without this feeling, but she was glad that she would never have to again. She could touch her Princess whenever she wished, even without reason, except that she wished for the contact and that was something that she truly relished.

Their walk had been mostly in silence since they continued from the karaoke bar, but they know found themselves in front of one of their normal hangout places, the Crown. Rei slowed to a stop, causing the two blondes to do the same, "We did promise lunch too, didn't we?" The miko asked as she looked toward the Crown.

Usagi looked at Rei curiously. Of course it was in their initial plans to come to the Crown after they were done at the karaoke bar, but things kind of got off track quickly. She still wasn't completely sure Rei was feeling one hundred percent, "Do you really think that's the best idea? I thought we already determined that it'd be best if we just went back to the shrine."

Rei looked as though wanted to plead her case, but Minako interjected before she could say anything, "How about a raincheck?" The blonde said with a smile, drawing the attention to herself. She didn't want her two friends to get into an argument. "Just go home and relax. I'll be much happier knowing that you aren't over doing it."

She didn't think it was necessary to go home and relax or rest, but she didn't want to get in to fight with the two blondes, they were only trying to look out for her and she was pretty sure it wasn't a fight she could win anyway. Rei sighed, "There's nothing I can say that will change your mind?"

Minako shook her head slightly, "Sorry, I don't think it would be best today." She paused and looked at her two friends, "I'll just let the two you have the rest of the day to yourselves." She said and moved to give both a quick hug. She wore a fresh smile as she stepped away from them, "We can do this, another day."

"It's a promise." Usagi said quickly and moved forward to give her another hug before she could walk away.

Rei watched her friend carefully, 'She's trying too hard.' She had seen glimpses of a façade, even though she hid it very well; it concerned her because it was clear now that they were parting. She watched as the two blondes separated and she began to walk away. "Minako!" The blonde stopped when she heard her name and turn back around, "If you need to talk about anything, we'll be here to listen." She didn't say anything in return, choosing to nod and continue on her way. Again she felt guilty, now for not being able to give her friend a day where she didn't have to think about everything that she didn't have, she'd failed her. "I'm sorry." She whispered dejectedly.

Apparently she was too loud because Usagi looked away from where Minako was walking away to see a frown on her girlfriend's face. She took both of Rei's hands in her own and moved in front of her, holding her hands to her chest, "I don't want you to apologize anymore. You should only apologize when something is your fault and none of this is.

"It's just that this isn't how I wanted this day to go." Rei sighed and lowered her head, but even as she did, she could feel Usagi's hold on her hands tighten a little, drawing out a smile from her lips. "I can't help feeling like I completely messed up what should have been a fun day out."

"It's not your fault though and Minako was right. We can always do this again." She said and smiled brightly before releasing her hands and wrapping her arms around the darker haired girl's waist. They held each other until the other friend was completely out of sight. Usagi sighed and smiled as a thought crossed her mind. She loosened her hold and took a small step back, "Perhaps next time we skip the karaoke though." She said lightly.

Rei laughed at her girlfriend's concession, "That I can agree with."

~~~~******~~~~

"Is it any different at home, now that your mother knows about us?"

Ami sat upon Makoto's bed, her back resting against the headboard, while her girlfriend rested her head in her lap. Ami found herself idly playing with Makoto's hair, even removing the restrictions of ponytail she'd been wearing when they made themselves comfortable in their current positions. With her tresses free, she was able to curl random locks of hair around her fingers. "Not really, no. Mother never really probed about things, unless she noticed something was off. She always waited for me to talk about anything and I suppose this isn't any different."

"Mmm." Makoto acknowledged quietly and closed her eyes.

Ami smiled as she continued to run her fingers through her girlfriend's hair for a few more minutes in relative silence, save for Makoto's occasional pleasurable moan. Ami laughed as her gaze caught sight of the time, it was already a quarter to noon and while both girls had already showered, they hadn't really done anything aside from getting back into bed and relaxing, "Are we simply going to lounge around in bed all day?"

Makoto's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at Ami's questioning gaze, "I wouldn't be against that idea." She said and rolled on her back. She stared up at her girlfriend as she asked, "Why did you have something in mind?"

Ami shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Nothing in particular."

Makoto bit her lower lip softly and reached up and began to play with the hem of her girlfriend's shirt, "I could think of something we can do to pass the time…" She said and slipped her hand under the blue haired girl's top and began to draw lazy patterns on her stomach with her fingers.

"We shouldn't have bothered to shower then." Ami said lightly, laughing at the end.

"We could always share, you know to conserve water." Makoto murmured as her hand traveled higher until she felt her lover's bra.

"I'm not sure how much we'd…" Ami began to say but gasped when Makoto cupped her breast as she was speaking. She mock glared at her girlfriend for distracting her, but that only lasted a moment, as she found herself smiling at the brunette fondling her, "But who am I to argue with such a reasonable woman." She said before reaching down and pulling her shirt over her head.

~~~~******~~~~

Usagi squeezed her girlfriend's hand as they reached the torii at base of the stone steps to Rei's home, "How are you feeling?"

Rei took a deep breath and smiled, "Worlds better." She said softly. She wasn't sure if may be in her head, but she couldn't help believing that her Princess' touch had something to do with her being in a better state. She brought their linked hands to her lips and kissed the top of Usagi's hand, "I think I have you to thank for that."

The blonde haired girl smiled, but shook her head a moment later, "I don't know about that."

"I do." She said and kissed her girlfriend's hand again, "You're my rock. Well, you're a lot more than that of course." She said with a smile and pulled her closer as she reached up and touched her cheek softly, "I love you so much." She whispered, almost as though she was telling her a secret, but she had no doubt she could hear her as she stood so close.

"And I love you too." Usagi responded and quickly closed the small gap between before Rei had a chance to. She knew this was their opportunity to share a moment before they entered the shrine and would be greeted by Rei's grandfather, where they were only friends, at least until they told him about their relationship. She wasn't entirely sure when Rei wanted to broach the subject with him, just that she wanted to do it this weekend. Perhaps after a good night's rest, today was a little more eventful than they originally expected it to be after all. They finally broke apart, but only far enough to allow themselves to catch their breath. Usagi lightly brushed her nails on the back of Rei's neck, just below her hair. They weren't in the best place to be so intimate though, "We're blocking the steps to any potential visitors."

"I don't care." Rei said seriously and gently stroked her cheek for a few moments. Eventually the more logical side of her brain won out, "I guess we should probably stop delaying the inevitable." She said, but not before giving her Princess one more quick kiss. She dropped her hand from her face, but took her hand once more as they began to climb the many steps ahead of them. Both girls had taken these steps more times than they could count, so it didn't take them very long to reach the top and make their way into the courtyard. Rei's eyes scanned the area to see if her grandfather was around. She smiled as she spotted him sorting through the talismans a short distance across the grounds. He wasn't facing them so he didn't see them so Rei called out to him, "Jii-chan!"

"Welcome back!" The elderly man greeted the two girls. Rei walked over to him and gave him a hug. Before Usagi could do the same, the older man spoke again, as though he just remembered something, "A few of your friends came by a short time ago. They asked if they could wait for you to come back and even though I told them I didn't know how long you'd be, they still asked to stay."

Rei looked at Usagi for a moment, but she simply shrugged her shoulders, looking as confused as she did so she turned her attention back to her grandfather, "Are they still here then?"

He nodded as he said, "As far as I am aware. I told them they could wait in your room."

She nodded in return before saying, "All right, thank you Jii-chan." She again turned to Usagi and stepped over to her and took her hand as she began to lead them inside the shrine's main building.

"Who do you think could have come by?" Usagi asked quietly.

Rei shook her head as she answered, "I'm not sure, but who it is must really want to talk." She said as she opened the door for Usagi. Her unvoiced thoughts had her trying to sense if something was off, but there was no foreboding presence around, 'At least it appears to really be our friends.' It was never a bad idea to be sure though.

They reached her room in a few seconds, "Well let's see who came to talk then." Rei stated as she reached for her door. She could hear a couple voices talking faintly, so clearly her visitors were still there. Not wasting another moment, she slid the door open, immediately silencing the conversation that had been going on. She wasn't entirely sure who to expect to find in her room, but it hadn't crossed her mind that it would be the three girls.

"Chibi-Usa?" Usagi asked curiously as she stepped into the room.

Rei followed closely behind her, sliding the door shut as she entered. She looked at the other girls in the room, Hotaru and Haruka, but it was clear they were here because of the pink haired girl. "What brings the three of you here? Is something wrong?" She asked cautiously. She was sure if some emergency came up they would have contacted them on their communicators, especially if it pertained to her future daughter.

Hotaru was the first to speak, "There's nothing wrong, I promise." She said seriously her hand covering her heart. She looked at the pink haired girl, sitting beside her, "Chibi-Usa just had a few questions for the both out you. We were already out, so we didn't see any harm in coming by so that she speak with you."

She nodded, but gave her full attention to her future daughter. It didn't take any of her abilities to see that she looked really nervous. It was more than nerves though, she could see that. Their eyes connected for a moment, but Chibi-Usa cast her gaze downward, causing her to frown. She didn't know why, but she saw fear in the other girl's eyes, she just didn't know why.

"What do you want to talk about?" Usagi asked as she stepped closer to her future daughter.

She looked as though she was going to speak, but she looked more apprehensive for someone that came to them with questions. Rei noticed that her eyes look at the two women that sat on the futon with her. She didn't know if it was something she did unconsciously or not, but it did answer why she was nervous, even if only partially. "You would like to just talk with just us?" Rei asked, pointing between herself and Usagi.

She looked at the two teens in front of her for a second before nodding her head slightly, "If it's possible." She said quietly, almost ashamed that she wished to exclude Hotaru and Haruka, they brought her here and it seemed right that they should be a part of their conversation, however she really just wanted it to be between herself and her teenage parents.

"We'll just…" Haruka began to say as she moved to stand up, but Rei quickly cut her actions off.

Rei held her hand out, "No, it's fine. You guys stay here. We can go somewhere else that's quiet. Just make yourselves comfortable in the meantime." She said when she felt Usagi touch her arm, drawing her attention to her.

Usagi leaned up slightly and turned away from the other girls, bringing her lips near her girlfriend's ear, "What are you thinking?" She whispered, so no one else could hear her.

Rei smiled and laughed lightly, hoping to avoid curious looks from anyone else, before leaning close to Usagi's ear, as she had done to her, "She's more concerned than she's trying to let on. I just can't tell what it is exactly. I want us to go somewhere that I can center myself better." She explained quietly before she pulled back a little, but not before kissing her cheek, near the corner of her lips. She smiled when Usagi turned to her with a classic lightbulb just went off kind of looks. She took Usagi's hand and intertwine their fingers before extending her free to her future daughter, "Let's go somewhere else. I promise it'll be more relaxing than here."

The pink haired girl nodded her head slightly before standing up and taking the offered hand. The three girls made their way towards the door, only stopping to look back at the two girls they were leaving behind when Usagi opened the door. "We won't be far, but if you guys need to reach us for anything, just use your communicators."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. It's not like we're not going anywhere." Haruka replied and watched the trio leave. She turned to the younger senshi as soon as the door was closed, "So…what's that about?" She'd been sitting on that question for what felt like hours, though in reality it wasn't more than a half hour at most.

Hotaru sat on the futon in the room and brought her hands together in her lap before taking a deep breath, "You know how I told you her fears that the creatures attacking us recently are from her future?" She said and looked to her guardian afterward. She simply nodded silently, so she continued, "She's worried their purpose is to destroy her future before it has a chance to happen."

A frown crossed Haruka's features as she asked, "Why would she be worried about that?"

Again the dark haired girl took a deep breath, "Well we happened to cross paths with Mamoru-san…"

Her expression quickly changed to a somber one, "Oh…"

"Yeah…" Hotaru muttered quietly and lowered her head.

The room fell silent for a several seconds before the sky senshi joined the other girl on the futon. She let a few more seconds pass before speaking again, "That must have been a little awkward."

Hotaru nodded, "You have no idea." She said and paused for a moment before adding, "I know Usagi-san told him, but I'm sure it was different actually being face to face with her. That aside though, I really felt bad for Rini…I mean…Chibi-Usa." She tried to quickly correct herself, but she knew the older woman wouldn't let her slip up get by her. She had only intended on calling the future Princess that to her and her alone, though that was probably foolish thinking on her part. She chanced a glance at the woman beside her and found her smirking at her, so she quickly turned away in an effort to hide her reddening cheeks.

Of course, the older woman felt the need to stay on that subject, "Rini?"

A sigh escaped Hotaru's lips before she explained, "She called me by a nickname, so it I came up with one for her too." She paused for a second before turning to Haruka and adding, "Don't make anything out of it."

The blonde closed her eyes for a moment, before focusing on the younger girl again, now more serious than she was a short time ago as she put her hand on the dark haired girl's shoulder, "There's nothing wrong with having feelings for the future Princess…"

Hotaru quickly stood up and moved to the other side of the room, as far away from the other woman as she could get without actually leaving the room. "Don't. Just don't." Hotaru said quietly with her back to Haruka. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, "I still remember her. Those memories haven't faded." She didn't have to explain who she was referring to, they both knew.

"You are not betraying her by caring about that girl down the hall." Haruka said, now standing as well. She slowly took a couple steps closer to the younger girl, but before she can reach her, she's already speaking again.

"You think I don't know what her fascination is with me? I'm the Sailor Senshi that doesn't exist in her future." Even as the words escaped her lips, she felt incredibly guilty at how cruel that suggestion was. There may have been a part of her that thought that initially, but she'd spent so much time with her since then that to even think, let alone say that out loud was despicable on her part. She was only glad that she didn't hear her say that because she was sure the suggestion would break her heart.

Haruka stared at the younger girl, hardly believing what she just said, "You can't seriously think that."

Her shoulders sagged as she turned away from the tall blonde. She sighed and rubbed her hands together, "No, that was awful of me to even suggest." She turned around and looked over to Haruka again, "She's like Usagi-san, too pure to not put her heart fully into whatever she does and that includes getting to know me." She sighed to give herself a moment before continuing, "I don't have a term to describe what my feelings are for her yet, but it doesn't really matter because I will still protect her from anything that wishes harm her, whatever that means for me."

Haruka closed the remaining gap between them and pulled the smaller girl into a hug, "That's a dangerous way to be thinking." She said and paused for moment and held the other girl a little tighter, "Stop thinking that death is what awaits you because I don't believe that. There must be some other reason she's never seen you in the future."

Hotaru laughed dryly, "You shouldn't make statements without basis."

She didn't think she would have wished for Setsuna to be here anymore than she did at this moment, since she was the only one that could convince Hotaru that she wasn't dead. Anything she'd said thus far had done nothing to change the other girl's mind about her fate and as much as it angered her, she couldn't really blame the girl.

~~~~******~~~~

"Here?" The pink haired girl asked quietly. Despite trying to hide her nerves, she feared it may have still slipped into her voice. Not that she intended to hide anything, but her questions might lead to being asked questions in return. Some of which, might be more complicated to answer than others. If her mama was as attune to her in this time as she is in the future, she wouldn't be able to even bend the truth, especially in that room, she would know.

Rei released the pink haired girl's hand and placed it on her shoulder, "I promise this is the next most private room in the entire shrine, after my bedroom at least." She only received a slight nod in response so Rei added, "Besides, I did promise to show this room some time ago, didn't I?"

'Not like this.' She couldn't help but think, but instead said, "Yes, you did."

"Right then…" Rei began and released her hold of her girlfriend's hand and pulled hand away from Chibi-Usa as she stepped forward and slid open the door exposing the large fire in the room. She stepped to the side, "After you." She watched Usagi urge the pink haired girl forward with a gentle hand on her back. She quickly entered the room, without further prompting. Usagi followed moments later, giving Rei a smile as she passed her.

The room itself was fair dark, as there were no windows to let in any natural light. It was pleasantly warm and the large fire in the center of the room did light the room enough. Chibi-Usa closed her eyes for a moment, there was no denying that the room or perhaps it was the fire, gave off a calming effect. That wasn't such a bad thing for herself as well as her mother. She could already feel the nerves she'd brought into the room with her were already ebbing away.

Once everyone was inside, Rei slid the door shut to give them the privacy she promised. She watched her daughter carefully while she walked up behind Usagi. She had to have a room like this in the future, so she had to be familiar with what this room was used for and how important it was to her. She touched the small of her girlfriend's back as soon as she reached her, drawing her attention. She looked to left and smiled, "Do you want to begin or should I?"

She again took Rei's hand and said, "I'll get her attention and us situated. You can ask her what brought her here." Rei nodded in agreement and waited for her call the pink haired girl over. "Chibi-Usa?" Usagi asked softly, drawing her attention away from the Great Fire. "Would you like to sit? So we can talk." She asked and gave a little tug on her girlfriend's arm, silently asking her to take a seat, she took the hint and they sat down together.

The time traveler nodded and walked over the pair and sat down in front of the two women who will be her parents in the future. She sat with her legs crossed and looked at each girl for a couple seconds before smiling slightly, 'They are a united front even now.' She thought to herself, but it also made her begin to feel this was perhaps foolish, that there was nothing to worry about.

"So, what kind of questions do you have for us?" Rei asked. She wanted to first address her concerns before asking anything herself.

Chibi-Usa didn't turn away, but she did find herself nervously toying with the bottom of her skirt. This was what she came here for, there wasn't any logical reason to delay things now, expect that she hadn't really thought about how to begin. She had to start somewhere, because they were patiently waiting for her reply. "I…I wanted to be sure that my coming this time hasn't caused any problems for both of you."

Rei watched her carefully, expecting her to say more, because this was something they'd discussed before, maybe not in-depth or anything, but she simply stopped there. 'She's holding back.' She thought to herself, but rather than calling her out on it, she asked, "Your presence here is not and could not be a problem. Why do you believe such a thing?"

"My life…my future depends on both of you being together and loving each other. If something were to happen, like me showing up out the nowhere. I could cause bring about problems for both of you and that could be disastrous." She said quickly, forcing her to take a deep breath to calm herself.

Usagi scooted forward and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, holding her tightly as she rubbed her back. Several seconds passed until Usagi asked, "What's brought on these worries?"

"Hotaru told me that you both just started your relationship and I thought that the start of a relationship was the most difficult part." The pink haired girl explained.

Rei smiled as she said, "Our relationship might be new in this lifetime, but we have loved each other beyond this lifetime and we will continue beyond it as well. I can promise there is no force that can separate us." Rei looked at Usagi, silently asking whether she was okay with her essentially turning the tables on their daughter. She was already upset and she knew what she was about to do would upset the girl further. When she received a short nod, she focused her fully attention on Chibi-Usa again, "This isn't about our commitment to each other, not entirely at least. You're afraid. You have been since you arrived here." The dark haired girl said calmly as she stared into her future daughter's eyes. She could see the panic and fear there, emotions she didn't wish to see reflected back at her from her daughter. She wanted only to take those feelings away, but she knew the only way she could possibly do that was to know what the cause of them was, so she reached forward as well and covered Chibi-Usa's hands. "Tell us what has you so afraid. Please." She pleaded with the other girl gently.

"I…I…" She stumbled over her words as she tried to speak again. She didn't know how this turned into her being questioned. This wasn't what she wanted to happen. A part of her wanted to run, but that was foolish. This isn't the Moon Palace, she doesn't know this place and even if she did, she didn't think her mother wouldn't let her go.

Usagi loosened her hold on the other girl, so she could look into her eyes as she spoke to her, "You don't need to hide anything from us. You certainly don't need to be afraid to tell us what's on your mind. It's just us here and you can speak your mind to us, we won't judge you in any way. We only want to help and to do that; you can't hold anything back from us."

She could feel her eyes begin to swim with unexpected tears; she blinked them away and took a deep breath. If she closed her eyes, she could almost believe she was back home. The reality was that she wasn't home. She was in an unfamiliar world with her parents' teenage selves and she needed to tell them, warn them of the danger she brought with her. "There are some that want our rule to fail in the future." She began, but found herself closing her eyes, willing herself to keep her composure as she explained where her fears really came from. She didn't anticipate telling them this, not without solid proof in her mind. "And I'm afraid." She said and took another deep breath when she felt the hands covering her own squeeze them lightly. "I'm afraid that they may have followed me here somehow and that they hope to hurt both of you in this time."

End Ch.13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to say anything about my thought process for this chapter, as I usually do. I'm only going to say the following…
> 
> Please leave me feedback, good, bad, or even indifferent, I don't mind hearing anything. If you feel like I could be doing something better, tell me. I'm not perfect, I would never claim to be, so please speak your mind everyone out there. I won't stop writing due to lack of reviews, but it definitely does hurt my motivation to work this story no matter how much I do love it. This will be the only time hound all of you for reviews. I only do it now because I felt I needed to. Those that do review though, I am truly grateful for so.
> 
> So that's it, I just hope everyone enjoyed this update.


	14. Pieces of the Puzzle

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 14 – Pieces of the Puzzle  
~~~~******~~~~

Usagi loosened her hold on the other girl, so she could look into her eyes as she spoke to her, "You don't need to hide anything from us. You certainly don't need to be afraid to tell us what's on your mind. It's just us here and you can speak your mind to us, we won't judge you in any way. We only want to help and to do that; you can't hold anything back from us."

She could feel her eyes begin to swim with unexpected tears; she blinked them away and took a deep breath. If she closed her eyes, she could almost believe she was back home. The reality was that she wasn't home. She was in an unfamiliar world with her parents' teenage selves and she needed to tell them, warn them of the danger she brought with her. "There are some that want our rule to fail in the future." She began, but found herself closing her eyes, willing herself to keep her composure as she explained where her fears really came from. She didn't anticipate telling them this, not without solid proof in her mind. "And I'm afraid." She said and took another deep breath when she felt the hands covering her own squeeze them lightly. "I'm afraid that they may have followed me here somehow and that they hope to hurt both of you in this time."

Rei looked at Usagi to see her reaction; she looked as worried as she felt about this revelation. She wanted more information though, so she turned back to the pink haired girl. She frowned when she saw the girl was avoiding eye contact with both of them, instead choosing to stare at the hands holding hers. Rei gave a small squeeze as she spoke, "Chibi-Usa?"

The future Princess slowly looked up and saw her Mama's eyes staring back at her. She might be younger, but her eyes were still the same. She took some comfort that, like she took comfort in her other mother's embrace. She wore a soft smile as she looked, but she could see that she had more questions, "Yes, Mama?" Her eyes widened at her slip of the tongue. Her Mama had asked her not to call her that and she did wish to follow her request, but it just came out.

Rei didn't comment on her slip though, she simply rubbed their hands together warmly and smiled a little wider, trying to silently reassure the girl. She realized though, that she probably needed to hear her say it was alright, she was already upset enough, "It's fine, trust me. It's only the three of us here and like Usagi said you can say whatever is on you mind without judgement from us."

Chibi-Usa bit her lower lip lightly as she tried to stop herself crying, but as she looked into her Mama's honest amethyst eyes she stopped fighting it. She untangled herself from her other mother and launched herself at the dark haired woman. She mumbled, "Mama." Before she buried her face into the crook of her neck and cried.

Rei wrapped her arms tightly around the other girl and rested her chin lightly on the top of her head. She rubbed small circular patterns on her back, trying to comfort her as her gazed drifted over to Usagi. The blonde didn't say anything, but her warm smile told her enough. Usagi shifted so that she was sitting beside Rei again and put her hand on the small of her back for a moment before letting her hand settle on her waist, allowing her to hold her with one arm. A moment later, she rested her head on her shoulder as well. With her free hand, she brushed her fingers through her future daughter's hair soothingly, "It's going be fine, we're going to be fine." She whispered as the girl's sobs slowed.

With her finally calming down enough to speak, she found herself whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Over and over again, she apologized. The guilt that she was responsible for this whole situation became too much for her to hold those words back.

Rei's movements stalled when she heard what the other girl was saying. She loosened her hold slightly, "Hey, there isn't anything you need to be apologizing for."

The pink haired girl pulled away so that she could look into her future mother, "I brought them here though, it's my fault…"

Rei shook her head and interrupted the girl before she could say any more, "You didn't bring them here. They followed you. Don't blame yourself for any of this, we don't." She said and smiled, "Whether it's here or in the future we need to deal with them, right?" She received a small nod, so she continued, "I can promise you that I won't let them hurt you or Usagi, I'll make sure of that."

"And what about you? Who will make sure you don't get hurt?" Chibi-Usa asked quickly.

"I won't get…" Rei began to say, but she was cut off.

"Nothing will happen to her either, because I'll make sure of it." Usagi interjected. The blonde's statement caused Rei to look over to her, a part of her almost wanted to say that she didn't need protection, but she knew that wasn't what this was about, so simply chose to flash a smile at her.

Chibi-Usa drew both girls attention back to her as she spoke again, "You're not mad at me then?"

Usagi touched her shoulder, "I promise that we are absolutely not mad at you." The pink haired girl lowered her head slightly and nodded. "I am glad you came to us with this though. It really means a lot that you told us, even though I know it was hard." She saw her nod again, but also bring her hand up and wipe her eyes, which prompted her to separate herself from Rei and extend her arms to Chibi-Usa, "Come here." With one more nod her head; she pulled away from Rei and moved towards Usagi. Once she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around her future daughter, whispering assurances that things would be okay.

Rei smiled as she watched Usagi with Chibi-Usa, she could see how much she'd grown, it was inevitable of course. She was glad that she had this to look forward to in the future. Though there were still questions running through Rei's head, but she was confident most of them could wait. She still wasn't entirely convinced that it was Usagi and her that were their target, but that didn't really matter either way because if her daughter is their target, like she was pretty sure was the case, she'd destroy anyone that thinks she would let them touch her. It did occur to her that this wasn't something they could keep to themselves either, "We should probably let all the girls know about this, Usagi."

The blonde turned to her girlfriend, "Do you think we should call them to come over tonight?"

Rei sighed quietly and looked at the girl in her girlfriend's arms, "I feel bad about calling everyone here now, especially after we just left Minako, but this is something we should all be on the page on." She conceded and paused for a moment to get to her feet and stretching her limbs, "We should probably get back to my room. I'm sure that Haruka and Hotaru will be glad for the company again." She said and offered her hands to the girls still sitting with each other. Chibi-Usa was the first to accept the assistance, as she nodded her head and pulled back from the blonde's arms, allowing Rei to bring her to her feet. Once she was standing, Rei looked her over for a moment before releasing her hands and bringing them to her cheeks, wiping away the wetness that lingered there. The future Princess felt cheeks flush as looked at Rei and saw her smiling at her, "Everything really will be okay, I promise" She said and dropped her hands. Rei turned to help her girlfriend up as well, but she was already standing when she looked. "Let's get back then." She said and moved to open the door for the other two girls.

Usagi put her arm across her future daughter's shoulders, "I think I can see how much you are like Rei." She said softly, causing Chibi-Usa to look at her. Usagi was smiling back at her before looking at Rei waiting by the door for them, "Don't put so much on yourself, thinking you are protecting us. She does that more often than I'd like. I'm still trying to work on that with her." She said and tightened her hold on her a little.

"I…I'll try." Chibi-Usa murmured quietly, voice sounding hoarser than she expected.

"Thank you." Usagi said, sounding a little relieved before ushering the other out of the room with her.

Rei touched her forearm as they reached and gave her a questioning look, but Usagi simply smiled and shook her head slightly. She slid the door shut and nodded, 'I guess that was a conversation just for them.' She thought silently as they headed back to her room. There wasn't any more said, there was plenty talking on the way they figured. They quickly found themselves in front of Rei's bedroom, as it wasn't very far from where they were. Rei grabbed the door but looked at Chibi-Usa before opening it, "We are going to deal with together, but don't think for a second that any of this is your fault." She waited for her to agree before sliding open the door. The door sliding open must have startled the two girls inside, because Rei was certain they were hugging, but they seemed to virtually leap away from each other. "Is everything alright?" Rei found herself asking even before the other two girls with her could enter the room.

Haruka looked at Hotaru for a moment to see if she was going to speak, but that didn't appear to be the case, "Everything is fine. We were just wondering when you three would be back actually." Rei nodded slowly, but still didn't quite believe her.

Usagi and Chibi-Usa followed in after, the blonde had her arm around the other girl's shoulders. Rei slid the door shut again once everyone was inside, while Usagi lead Chibi-Usa passed the two outer guardians and to the futon in the room. Both girls could see how red and puffy the future Princess' eyes were, what had transpired between them, she had been crying.

Hotaru wanted to join them, but she wasn't sure if she really had any right, Usagi was clearly already comforting her, she was in good hands, but she couldn't take her eyes off the duo. She hadn't even made eye contact with the other girl, as her eyes were cast downward from the moment she returned. She looked over to Rei and saw that she was still somewhat close to her door, 'Maybe I should just…' She thought as she turned back and now finally saw Chibi-Usa's bloodshot blue eyes looking at her. She could feel her feet moving before she really knew what she was doing and in just a few seconds she was sitting down on the girl's other side. She felt Chibi-Usa brush her hand over her own as soon as she was seated. Hotaru flipped her hand over and once she did, Chibi-Usa interlaced their fingers together.

"I told them."

She heard the other girl whisper to her. She knew what happened while they were gone then, though she didn't really know how it came out when she was so adamant about not telling them the previous night. In the end nothing mattered about the how or why, because as far as Chibi-Usa knew she was only other person she vented her concerns to and she needed her support, so she gave her a slight nod and squeezed her hand.

"Are you alright?" Haruka asked quietly as she stepped towards the miko.

Rei looked away from the girls on her futon and focused on the tall blonde, "We have some things to talk about. I mean all of us too. I'm going to send out a mass communication and get everyone here."

The Outer senshi watched her for a few seconds before asking, "I guess this has something to do with your discussion with the Princess?" She simply nodded and looked over to her futon. Haruka followed her eyes, but didn't say anything immediately. She focused on the pink haired girl as she spoke again, "Is she okay?"

This time Rei did reply, "She's better. She's been putting too much on herself and we'll…" She paused before she said more than she wanted to at that moment, "We'll talk more once everyone comes." She finally decided on saying before grabbing her communicator. She punched in a few buttons, but paused and looked to the girl beside her, "Would you like to call Michiru? Or do you want me to have her in on my message?"

"It's fine, just include her with the other girls."

With a nod, Rei finished the rest of the buttons she needed to press to make sure she reached everyone that wasn't already present. She brought the circular device to her mouth as she said, "I know it's short notice, but if everyone can come to the jinja. There's something that we need to talk about in regards to the enemies we've encountered recently."

~~~~******~~~~

Minako looked at her communicator as it went silent. She didn't expect to hear from anyone, especially from Rei. 'What happened in such a short time?' She asked herself. She didn't sound like there was any immediate danger or anything, so that was good. Something clearly happened though, otherwise there was no need to call for a meeting.

"Didn't you just leave them Minako?"

The blonde turned to Artemis, hearing his question, "Yeah, they were going back to the shrine when I left them." She answered before becoming lost in thought again.

The white feline watched his charge silently for a couple minutes, "Are you okay, Minako?"

She again turned to the cat a little surprised by the question, "Of course I am." She said dismissively, already beginning to get ready to leave.

Artemis was growing tired of her dismissing him, but he didn't know how to get her to talk when she didn't want to. 'Perhaps I should enlist some help.' He thought as he watched her open her bedroom door.

"I'll be back in a little while." The blonde said before slipping out the door.

~~~~******~~~~

"I wonder what that's all about?" Ami thought aloud as soon as the message ended.

Makoto shook her head, "I don't know, but it looks like we won't be able to lounge around her all day."

Ami smiled at her girlfriend, "I guess not." She looked down and added, "It does mean we need to get dressed again though."

Makoto leaned down and softly kissed her girlfriend's cheek, "Why did we even bother getting dressed this morning?"

Ami couldn't help laughing at the question, "Because we adhere to social norms and wearing clothes."

"I love the way that beautiful brain of yours works and how you can explain the confusing thing that is clothing." She said with a laugh and slipped out of her bed. She looked around for a moment, "Where's my…?" Her question was cut off by a bra flying at her head, she still caught it before it could hit her though, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She said with a smile and began to get dressed herself, "We should get to the jinja soon though and find out what Rei was talking about."

Makoto nodded her head in agreement, "Right." She said and focused on finishing quickly.

~~~~******~~~~

"I probably should meet everyone as they come." Rei announced, but even before she could take a step towards the door, she was stopped by a hand blocking her.

"Let me take care of that." Haruka said and paused for a moment, gesturing toward the girls on her futon, "I think you are more needed here."

Rei looked at where the other girl was and nodded after a moment, "Thanks, I owe you."

Haruka laughed lightly, "Remember I told you to not make a habit of it or I'll ask for payment." She laughed even harder at the younger girl's expression, "Let's call this one free." She said and patted the other girl on her before slipping out of the room, not allowing her time to respond.

Rei shook her head, she knew better than to pay much mind to whatever the Outer senshi was alluding to. She made her way over to her futon and as she did, she noticed Hotaru and holding Chibi-Usa's hand, 'I guess they've gotten closer.' The thought brought a small smile to her lips; she had hoped they would figure out things for themselves, especially after how their first meeting went. She hoped they'd be as good for each other as Hotaru was with the girl they had previously known from the future. It still felt weird to remember the girl who came to the past before this girl, she'd always thought something would click in their minds and…maybe not forget her, she was a part of their past, but she expected something. 'Didn't our memories create paradoxes or… something?' The only thing she knew for sure, was that time travel was confusing and the one person that could answer questions about it, was lost to them. She shook her head slightly at the thought; she needed to focus on what was right in front of her.

"Everyone will be here shortly." Rei said, bringing the three girl's attention to her. She focused on her future daughter as she added, "Usagi and I can do the talking if you'd prefer, Chibi-Usa."

The pink haired girl nodded, but remained silent so Rei sat down beside Usagi, taking her hand as she did. After a few seconds, Chibi-Usa turned to her left, "What if they have questions?"

Usagi rubbed her back for a moment before smiling and saying, "We can take care of it."

She seemed like she was going to say something, but ended up choosing to nod. Admittedly, she didn't know everything about them either; even her parents didn't as far as she knew. What concerned her more now was if any of the ones she knew by name were planning on showing themselves. She'd obviously never participated in any fight, but she'd seen the Quartet and the other guard fight before and she knew how much more dangerous things would get if any of them showed up.

While she might not being saying anything, Hotaru could see her thoughts were still occupied by her worries. She squeezed her hand lightly before saying, "They won't succeed, whether it's in the future or here. They made a mistake if they thought they could cause trouble here."

"I guess that means she already told you then." Rei stated, more than questioned. She could see the younger girl freeze, seemingly just realizing what she said.

Hotaru quickly turned to the miko as soon she returned to her senses, "I'm sorry, I couldn't…"

Rei shook her head slightly, before interrupting the other girl, "You don't need to apologize. I'm glad Chibi-Usa had you to confide in, Hotaru-chan. I know this has weighed heavily on her." While her initial attention was on the dark haired girl, she shifted her focus to her future daughter. It took the pink haired girl a couple seconds to realize the attention was on her, but once she did, her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She lowered her head slightly as if she could hide her blush. Rei was going to make a comment, but heard the door being opened, drawing her gaze there.

Haruka entered the room first, followed closely behind the rest of their friends. Rei gave Usagi's hand a light squeeze before standing up to greet all the girls that just arrived. "Thanks for coming so quickly everyone." She said and looked to each girl, coming to Minako last. She gave her a small apologetic smile to the blonde before continuing, "I would have asked everyone to come here if this wasn't important." She walked over to her futon again, but didn't sit down this time. She still took a quick glance at the girls on her futon, but they already knew what she was going to say, so she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to other girls in the room, "I know we debated if these recent attacks have been random or if they were somehow tied together. We have an answer to that now."

"What do you mean?"

Rei looked at Minako, "I mean that those youma we fought the other night are from a group in the future. It wasn't a random encounter with some stray youma."

"You mean the future that she came from?" Makoto asked softly. She didn't point at the pink haired girl or anything, but it clear enough who she was referring to, they only had one time traveler in the presence after all.

Rei nodded at her question, "Yes. It seems they followed her here."

"What do they want, what they are targeting?" Minako asked after moment.

"We're not completely sure yet, but they came here after Chibi-Usa, so I'm sure she a target. They may not have even known where they were following her to." She said and looked at Chibi-Usa as she finished. The other girl seemed like she wanted to say something and she was pretty sure she knew what that was already.

"I just don't want them to hurt anyone I care about." Chibi-Usa voiced

Usagi pulled her a little closer, "They won't." She said in a calm voice, but also very seriously.

The room grew silent for a short time, so Rei decided to say what else was on her mind, "Things have been quiet for a few days, but that really is feeling like a bad thing. I can't really explain it, but I just feel like there's something on the horizon." She shook her head slightly and sighed quietly, "Maybe I'm wrong, I'd rather we be prepared." She looked around the room and was happy to see that all of the girls seemed to agree with her.

"What did you have in mind?" Ami asked.

Rei looked around again but stopped for a moment at where Michiru and Haruka standing, they were being more quiet than usual. The reason seemed to click in her head after a moment of thought. She looked at the youngest senshi, 'Of course.' It wouldn't be the first time they kept information from the rest of the guard, but this was different and she was going to make sure they knew she did like it, at all. She looked around the room briefly and came to the thought that any confrontation could wait until the room thinned out a little. "I think it'd be a good idea for all of us to meet up regularly. We can do that here or if you would like to host some meetings as well, Haruka and Michiru? I know there's enough room at your place as well."

"We're more than willing to host any meetings in the future." Michiru answered.

"Thank you." She said looking at the older woman for a moment, before looking that the other girls assembled in her room, "That's about all that I wanted to make sure everyone knew. Does anyone have any questions or anything?"

"Do we know how big a force we are dealing with?" Minako asked after a moment.

Rei looked like she was going to speak, Chibi-Usa spoke before she could, "It's not very large." When she saw everyone's eyes on her though, she looked down.

The avatar of Mars walked over to the other girl and crouched down in front of her. She hadn't expected her to say anything, but if she had something to add, she didn't want her to reluctant to share. She caught a glimpse of her eyes staring downward and smiled slightly, "Why don't you continue?"

The pink haired girl took a deep breath and looked up, but she focused on her future mother in front of her, "I just know they have four commanders, but I don't know what they can do though. I've just heard the Quartet say how strong they are. They each have a small group they command."

Rei nodded, "That's all good information." She said and smiled again. She stood and looked at everyone again, "I think a little training might be a good idea as well then."

"I agree." Makoto answered, almost eagerly. Ami seemed to take that moment to wrap her arm around the taller girl's waist.

Rei smiled slightly at the action, but paused when she noticed Minako's expression. She didn't look excited to be standing next to the pair, but when she caught Rei's eyes on her, she quickly smiled. That only made Rei frown, which caused the blonde to falter a bit, but she quickly recovered and stepped forward, "I guess that means we at least have an immediate course of action to take then." She paused, receiving affirmative nods from the group. "Then perhaps we should call it a night?"

Before Rei had the opportunity to say anything, Makoto said, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to impose on your weekend together."

She had to suppress an eye roll at her friend, "I called all of you here, so I'd hardly call you being here imposing."

"Mako, knows that." Ami said with a smile, "Still we should probably head home."

Rei sighed quietly, "Let me at least walk you guys out." She started to walk towards the girls walking out, but Makoto looked back and said, "Don't worry about it, we've been here plenty of times, we can see ourselves out."

"We'll see you guys Monday!" Usagi called to the girls leaving.

"Of course!" Minako replied before slipping out the door, while the other two girls gave similar answers.

Once the door was shut, Rei looked at the two Outer guards again, 'Now was as good a time as any.' She thought and moved to stand beside her girlfriend. She leaned close to Usagi's ear, "I need to talk with Haruka and Michiru for a second." Rei whispered and kissed her cheek before pulling away. Usagi nodded and Rei walked over to where Haruka and Michiru stood together. They were unusually more quiet through her explanation and she had an idea why, "So I'm guessing that since Hotaru knew about this, both of you did as well." She said and looked at both women, not entirely sure if she'd get any response from them. While it wasn't too important now that things were out in the open, she didn't appreciate their silence about a direct danger to her daughter. Hotaru she could look past easier, she was a kid, relatively speaking. Haruka and Michiru were older and more experienced; she expected them to keep her informed.

"We didn't intentionally hide this from you or Usagi." Michiru said softly.

Rei looked at the avatar of Neptune as she spoke, "Whether intentional or not, I'd like to know if you have information that affects my daughter's safety."

"Spoken like our future Queen." Haruka said only half-jokingly, but Rei's glare silenced any further comment. If she wished to be serious, she could as well. Haruka put her hands on both of the younger girl's shoulders, "There is a weight to being her partner, our Princess. She won't rule by herself, like her mother. She'll undoubtedly need you at her side. So whether you like it or not, that will surely be your title in the future."

Rei took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, her eyes had lost their sharpness from a few moments ago, "You don't need to tell me something I already know. Usagi will be only real ruler, you and I both know that. However, that is not the reason for my annoyance, if you will. The reason is your failure to take my issue with your silence about this seriously."

The tall blonde's eyes softened and she patted her shoulders lightly, "Believe me Rei, I took it very seriously and for what it's worth, I'm sorry. We had our reasons, but we shouldn't have kept you in the dark about this."

Rei nodded and felt the older girl finally release her, "Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear." She said quietly and looked over to the pink haired girl with Usagi and Hotaru. With a sigh she turned back to the two girls with her, "I can trust you to keep her safe, right?" Her eyes traveled from one girl to the other as she spoke, but they drifted to Chibi-Usa afterward. Not giving the older woman an opportunity to answer, she continued, "I would like to be there protecting her, but I have school and wouldn't be able to be with her all the time and…" She only stopped when she felt at hand on her shoulder, only one this time though. She looked at the tall blonde, who had a small smile on her face.

"I promise that we'll keep her safe. Hotaru has already told us that won't leave her side, no matter what. There won't be a time she is unprotected, I promise."

"If anything comes up though…"

"You'll know as soon as it happens." Michiru interjected before she even finished the statement.

Rei looked at the other woman and nodded, "Thank you." She looked back to her futon and saw Usagi hugging Chibi-Usa, "It's getting a little late, so perhaps we should call it an evening." She and turned to the two Outer guard with her, both seemed to be in agreement with her, so she began to walk across her room when she noticed her girlfriend and future daughter were in the same position, "So can I get in on this hug action?" Rei announced her presence to the other three girls.

Chibi-Usa immediately pulled away from Usagi and ran to her. The time traveler threw her arms around Rei's waist and held her tightly, with Rei responding in kind, her head pressed against chest for a few seconds before tilting her head up, "You can hug me whenever you want, Mama." She said quietly and return her head to its previous position.

Rei smiled as she whispered, "I'll be sure to call you over when I'm in need of a hug then."

"I see how it is…" Usagi began before sighing audibly, "As soon as Rei is available, I'm left high and dry!" She said with another sigh, purposely loud enough for the other girls to hear her.

Chibi-Usa looked over her shoulder to her future mother, "Mama gives good hugs." She explained simply and turned back around, still not releasing her hold.

Usagi pouted for moment, but eventually shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I can't argue with that." She said a little dejectedly. When she saw Rei lean down and whisper something to their future daughter, causing her to laugh. She crossed her arms over her chest then and walked over to the duo, "No secrets allowed though."

Rei looked at Usagi and smiled at her, "No secrets, I promise." She turned back to Chibi-Usa and kissed the top of her head before let her arms loosen, while her daughter did the same. Chibi-Usa took a step back, but before she could completely step away Rei touched the loose pink curls that fell over her shoulders, "Why no odangos today? I thought that was like a Moon Princess tradition or something…"

She shrugged her shoulders and stepped forward again before whispering, "Hotaru-chan thought it looked nice."

"Did she?" Rei asked quietly and took a glance over her shoulder at Hotaru for moment. When she looked back at Chibi-Usa, she whispered, "She's right." She smiled at the cute pink hue that spread across the other girl's cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Usagi was getting a little impatient, "Why don't you give Usagi another hug before you leave? She's feeling a little left out."

With a look over her shoulder, she nodded and stepped away from her, and quickly making her way to Usagi. Chibi-Usa wasted no time hugging the blonde. After a few seconds the pink haired pull back a little, "Mama just said that I shouldn't tease you." She whispered, explaining what their earlier secret talk was about.

Usagi smiled and drew the shorter girl into another hug. When she pulled away, she put her hands on her daughter's upper arms, so she didn't move too far away yet, "I want you to listen to Haruka and Michiru and if you see anything suspicious I want you tell someone, okay?"

Chibi-Usa nodded, "You'll be careful too, right?"

"Of course we will." She answered with a smile and rubbed her arms for a moment before adding, "We'll be fine, I promise."

Again she nodded at her mother's answer, "I wish I could transform and protect both of you."

Usagi pulled other girl close again and held her for few seconds before whispering, "Don't worry yourself about transforming. I'm sure when the time is right, it will happen." She pulled back and looked into her future daughter's eyes, "I know it. Trust me, okay?"

"Okay." She said quietly. It was hard to have that kind of faith after so long, but she would try. So she gave her the biggest smile she could muster, she certainly didn't want her parents to worry about her more than they already did.

Rei made her way closer to the duo, "Are you feeling better than when you came here then?"

Chibi-Usa stepped back and looked at Rei, "Yes, I do thank you."

She nodded before speaking, "I hope you won't hesitate to talk to us if you ever have something on your mind."

"I won't."

Rei smiled and looked over to Haruka and Michiru. They seemed to take it as their cue to speak up. Haruka took a couple steps forward, "It's gotten rather late, so we probably should head back home."

"We'll see you again soon. There are some things we need to take care of tomorrow, but we'll see you after school the day after that okay?" Rei said when she returned her attention to Chibi-Usa.

The pink haired girl nodded her head and caught sight of Hotaru still sitting by herself on the futon. She looked like she was in deep thought about something, not really paying attention that Haruka said they should be leaving soon. "I'm going to Hotaru-chan. She shouldn't be on her own either."

Rei look at the youngest senshi for a moment, "I think you're right." She said and gave her a light nudge towards the other girl, though she didn't really think she needed it. She watched both girls for a few seconds, until she felt Usagi beside her and took her hand. Hotaru looked noticeably happier when Chibi-Usa talked to her and she couldn't help from smiling at the two girls.

"What's with that grin?" The blonde asked and bumped their shoulders together.

Rei smiled and gave her girlfriend her full attention, "Nothing really, just a passing thought." She said quietly and kissed her cheek.

Usagi looked at where she saw the other girl looking, but now saw Hotaru and Chibi-Usa making their way over to them, or more like Chibi-Usa was pulling the dark haired girl along with her. "Are both you all set?" Usagi asked once the girls were close enough.

"We are, right Taru-chan?" She said and looked over to the girl slightly behind her. How she addressed did raise a couple eyebrows, but neither girl commented on it.

With a single nod Hotaru said, "Yes, I believe we are Princess." A smile spread across her lips afterward. It looked as though Chibi-Usa was going to say something, but at that time Haruka made herself known.

"Why don't let these two get on with whatever they planned on doing this evening?"

Rei gave the tall blonde look that she really hoped told her to shut up while she was ahead, but the smile she gave seemed to say otherwise, 'Did everything she say have be laced with innuendo?'. At least Michiru got her message, as she came up behind her partner and grabbed her attention, before shaking her head ever so slightly. When Haruka turned back to the rest of the girls, she wore a small frown.

"Well we wouldn't want to wear out our welcome girls." She said and looked at the two girls with Rei and Usagi.

Chibi-Usa looked at the two teens that will be her parents in the future, "Goodnight Mama. Goodnight Mother." It was easier to address them how she would in the future rather than who they were in this time and neither seemed to mind as she looked at each of them.

"We'll see you again soon." Rei told her with smile.

Usagi squeezed her girlfriend's hand, though she was focused on the pink haired girl, "And if you need to talk to us again before Monday, we can easily be reached. Hotaru and Haruka and Michiru all know how to."

As they were talking either Haruka or Michiru had opened the door and were waiting beside it. Both girls took that as it was the cue to leave, so they made their way towards the exit. If either girl realized they were still holding hand, neither seemed to want to be the one to separate. Rei watched them for a few seconds, until they were nearly out the door, before a kiss on Usagi's cheek and releasing her hand to walk over to the other girls were leaving. She was stopped by Haruka's voice was addressing her.

"You don't need to walk us out, if that's what you are intending. We are capable of finding our own way."

"I know, I just…" She said and trailed off as she watched Chibi-Usa walking down the hall with Hotaru.

Haruka tracked her line of vision, "Nothing will touch her with Hotaru near her, believe me. She'd rather lose a limb than let anything happen to her."

She looked back to the blonde before saying, "I know how dangerous that can be as well." Her eyes traveled over to Usagi for a moment, "Keep them safe."

The tall blonde nodded, "I should probably leave then in order to do that." Rei nodded in return and watch her put her arm around Michiru's shoulders, who smiled at the miko, and lead her out of the room. Once they were in the hall, she watched them for a couple seconds longer before sliding the door shut.

This was not how she expected this day to go. She looked over to Usagi, seeing her simply patiently waiting for her, made her smile. She didn't say anything; she simply walked over to her girlfriend and took her hand, rubbing her thumb over her knuckles. After a couple seconds, she brought it to her lips and kissed the top of her hand, before pull her towards her futon. Now that it was just them, she felt incredibly tired, it seemed the day was finally catching up to her. Rei sat on her futon, bringing Usagi down with her. She loosed her hold on her hand and fell back after a moment, "Today has been a long day…" She said with a sigh.

Usagi smiled slightly and joined Rei, in a similar position. Once she was on her back, she turned on her side and reached over, gently placed her hand on her girlfriend's cheek, prompted her to turn and face her. "You aren't feeling any ill effects from what happened earlier are you?"

She leaned into her hand as she said, "No, I'm fine, just kind of tired though. Before all of this happened, I wanted to talk with Jii-chan about us, but now I think I'd rather have a good night's rest. I know it's a little early, but can we just lay here until we fall asleep?"

Usagi nodded and stroked her cheek softly, "Of course, but won't you be more comfortable in your pajamas or something?"

Rei looked down at herself and then let her eyes look over Usagi as well, "Damn…" She mumbled more to herself than anything. She knew she continued to lie beside the blonde, she would fall asleep even if they weren't in the most comfortable position, laying only half on her futon. With a groan she sat up and stretched her arms above her head for a moment before standing. She offered her hands to her girlfriend, who took them immediately and found herself on her feet a moment later. She continued to hold her hands as she leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss, "I guess we should get changed, then?"

With a smile, Usagi said, "Probably." Neither girl made a move to separate though, which caused the Moon Princess laugh, "You might have to let go of me if you do plan on doing that though."

Rei sigh quietly but after a few moments, Rei reluctantly let her hands slip through her own and walked over to her dresser across the room. After rifling through a couple drawers she pulled out a tank top and some shorts. She looked over to see that Usagi already had her outfit laid out on the futon, but she hadn't begun to change yet. She looked at her door for moment and considered changing separately again, but it felt like an unnecessary thing tonight, plus she really was tired, so without another thought she grabbed the hem of shirt and began to pull it off. She hadn't even got it passed her breasts when she heard Usagi talking.

"You're not going change in your bathroom, like last night?" Usagi asked curiously.

Rei let her shirt drop into place again and turned around, "Why? Do you want me to?"

"O-Of course not!" Usagi stammered, feeling a warmth spread across her face.

Rei smiled and turned around again, "I think can keep my hands to myself, if you can." She said and pulled off her top. As she reached around to unhook her bra, she could virtually feel her girlfriend's eyes still on her, prompting her to pause and look over her shoulder, "Unless I'm distracting you?" She asked with a poorly hidden smirk.

Usagi turned to her own clothes in an effort to hide a blush she was sure now spread across her entire face, "You're not distracting at all. I mean I've you naked before, Rei." She said, trying to sound nonchalant, she wasn't sure she did though when she heard her girlfriend laughing at her, so she decided to get on with changing herself. She quickly striped down to her bra and panties. She paused when she reached behind her back to remove her bra, her eyes focusing on her sleep clothes. She hadn't given much thought to them before, but now she wished she had something that was sexier. It wasn't like she could have chosen something from her current wardrobe, she simply didn't own anything like that. That was something she'd have to change before she stayed over again.

"Did you need help with that?" Rei whispered and touched Usagi's fingers, that hadn't made any progress unclasping her bra.

Usagi felt her heart rate increase as she jumped slightly, not expecting the other girl to be right behind her. She must have been really lost in thought to not even notice Rei approach her, but she could be quiet stealthy when she wanted to be. She looked over her shoulder as she spoke, "I thought you said you could keep your hands to yourself?"

"Actually, I said that I only thought I could." She corrected with a smile, but still pulled her hands away.

Before she could step away though, Usagi said, "You may as well help." She looked forward again and added, "Since you already offered." She lowered her arms and simply waited patiently.

Rei nodded though she couldn't be seen and reach out again, but just before touching her she said, "As you wish, my Princess." She closed the remaining distance and took the bra between her fingers and slowly unclasped each hook. Her fingers brushing her back each time, she smiled as she felt a slight of her muscles every time. After all four hooks were undone, she pulled her hand back. Though her bra hung loosely on her shoulders, Usagi made no effort to finish removing it, so Rei to that to mean she wanted her to. She put her hands on her shoulder and slowly slid the thin straps down Usagi's arms at the same time. She was sure she felt a shiver pass through her body as she reached her elbows and the material fell to the ground, at her feet. She realized this probably the most exposed she'd been with anyone, standing only in her panties and unlike Usagi, she hadn't seen her naked before, 'Well not in this lifetime at least…' She thought and took a small step forward. She placed a light kiss on her shoulder and stepped back, letting her hands fall away as well.

Rei waited a couple seconds, but she still hadn't finished getting changed, "You are going to get cold if you continue standing like that." Her voice seemed to bring her back to the present, because she quickly reached for her clothes. Rei turned around to give her some privacy. She didn't want to sneak a peek at her while she changed, that didn't seem right to her. It felt like only a moment when she felt Usagi take her hand and pull her towards her futon.

Once they were lying beside each other Usagi propped her head up a little with her hand. She took Rei's hand with her other and played with her fingers. She watched their finger dance together for a little while, before saying, "One minute you're acting all flirty and then all shy the next. It's really confusing, Rei."

Her tone was light, but Rei took her statement seriously. She didn't mean to be sending mixed signals, "I'm sorry Usa. I promise it's not shyness though…"

Usagi tilted her head to look into her girlfriend's eyes, "I know." She said quietly and shifted closer, tangling their legs together. The more time they spent together, she felt as though she could understand what Rei was feeling even though she never voiced it. She was sure Rei felt it too, almost as if they could communicate without words if they wished. With that thought in mind, she recalled something her mother told her, 'Soul bonds…she said that were strong enough between soulmates that we could hear and perhaps feel each other's thoughts.' She didn't really need such confirmation that Rei was her soulmate, because she just felt it in their connection. She smiled, because she knew it wasn't Rei being shy, she was only teasing. "You're just being chivalrous." She said and leaned closer, resting almost half on top of her.

Rei laughed lightly at how she said the last word, as though it were something to be frowned upon, "Chivalry isn't a bad thing, Usagi."

"Mmm…" Usagi mumbled as she settled snuggly against Rei, resting her head on her chest comfortably, while she loosely held the dark haired girl around her waist. She wasn't going argue her point that she didn't need to be chivalrous, she wanted her. She felt Rei's fingers as they brushed her scalp lightly before running through her hair, after she repeated the process several times, Usagi found herself moaning at the sensation. As soon as the noise escaped her lips, she felt cheeks warm and immediately hid her face in her girlfriend's shirt. Rei's hand was no longer moving through her hair; instead she felt her press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Why are you embarrassed, Usa?" Rei asked quietly.

After a moment Usagi raised her head and looked up to meet Rei's gaze, "It's weird to make noises like that, when all you were doing is playing with my hair."

"Were you enjoying it?"

The Moon Princess nodded slightly, "Yes."

"Then that's all the matters. I want you to feel good and I like feeling your hair in my hands, I always have. It's soothing to me and that it gives you pleasure as well that makes me happy." She said and allowed the hair that was still in her hand to slip through her fingers so that she could bring that hand to Usagi's face. She cupped her cheek gently, "I want to hear every breath of pleasure these fingers give you." She said and brushed her thumb across Usagi's lower lip.

She knew if her cheeks weren't already flush, they certainly would have been now. She kissed the finger on lips before Rei even thought of pull it away, "If you don't stop talking like that, I don't think I'll have the resolve to wait for the moment you spoke of."

Rei smiled before dipping her head to capture her bedmate's lips, Usagi inched up to prolong the contact when she felt her begin to pull back. It didn't take much coaxing to give into Usagi's silent request. She leaned down once more and shifted so she was a more comfortable position, which meant that she lay half on top of Usagi, while the blonde was on her back. A hand found its way to the back of Usagi's neck as her tongue sought entrance, probing at her lips gently.

Usagi was quick to respond, meeting her tongue with her own, but she allowed Rei to set the pace. She remembered how quickly things progressed when she was given control and she pretty sure Rei had a little more control than she did. Her arms were still wrapped loosely around Rei's waist, but she didn't want to restrict any movement her girlfriend wished to make so she let her hands slid down her back, until she reached the small of her back. She flexed her fingers before fisting the fabric beneath them. Her hands were so close, she could just…and then she felt Rei nip at her lower lip, she couldn't help herself anymore. Her hands traveled lower still and took her love's bum in hands and squeezed, almost curious what her girlfriend's reaction would. It was thankfully immediate.

Rei quickly pulled away from the other girl's mouth and yelped at the unexpected action of her girlfriend. She let her hand fall to either side the blonde's shoulders and pushed herself up, "You little minx." Rei chastised lightly.

Usagi could only laugh, "I think you started it." She said and leaned up to capture her lips once more. Rei met her half way. Any hope of reigniting their previous heated exchanged was killed though when Rei pulled back after only a few seconds.

She moved off the blonde, so that she was now on her side, facing Usagi. She smiled as she reached up and touched her cheek lightly, "I'm sorry for making us stop again." She whispered and caressed the skin beneath her fingers. "I promise that we'll take that step soon. I just want it to be perfect for you. I want it to be…"

Usagi moved forward and pressed her lips firmly to her girlfriend's, effectively silencing her. Her hand found the back of Rei's neck, holding her in place even as she pulled back for moment before giving her a few more pecks and lay back. While she would have been fine continuing, there were some things she wanted make sure she conveyed. She knew Rei was being a gentleman…or rather a gentlewoman, but there was something she wanted to make clear to her, "I love that you want our first time to be special, but I can promise you that all I need for it to be special is you. All I want and all that I need is you, Rei."

"You perfect, Usa." Rei said softly and smiled fondly at her girlfriend. She was completely serious in her words; Usagi was utterly perfect in every way and everything she said. She brushed away some hair that had fallen loose, "It seems you have a way of saying just the right thing."

"Well there's a good reason for that." Usagi said and leaned in closer, as if she were going to tell her a secret, "Because I love you." She whispered and closed the small distance between, capturing her girlfriend's lips. She pulled back and smiled brightly.

"And I love you, Usa." She said and stroked her cheek softly with her thumb.

Both girls simply relaxing into their positions, at least until the Moon Princess got an idea that wanted to try, or rather a different position from the one they were in. "C-Could you turn over, Rei?" Usagi asked softly, while Rei cocked her head to the side slightly, at least as much as she could from her laying position. She quickly answered the other girl's unasked question, "I want to hold you, like you held me last night." She explained.

A smile spread across the brunette's lips, "Of course, love." She said and rolled over so her back was facing the other girl. As much as she enjoyed holding her Princess, she was more than willing to give her whatever she wanted. Once she was situated, she felt Usagi shifting behind her for a moment before arms wrap around her midsection. She leaned back into to her girlfriend's embrace and sighed quietly. 'There was something to be said for being held like this…' She thought as she eyes closed, even as she felt Usagi tangle their legs together. Both girls soon fell into a comfortable silence, at least for a couple minutes.

"You're warm, Rei." Usagi whispered contently as her hands sought out the bottom of her girlfriend's shirt. She slipped her hands under the thin fabric and sighed softly as she felt the muscles beneath her fingers react to her touch. She didn't seek out direct contact with the warm skin beneath Rei's sleep shirt to arouse her girlfriend, she simply wanted the closeness. She ran her fingers over her taut stomach; she felt a tenseness to her muscles, giving her pause, "Is this okay?"

Rather than answering her question, she lightly asked one in return, "I thought you said I was warm?"

"I like that you're warm." She said and kissed her cheek. Even from her side angle, she could see a smile form on her lips, so she resumed her previous actions. She could still feel the small reactions of her muscles to her touch, but it was more subtle, her breathing seemed to be more even. If she didn't know her better, she would say Rei had fallen asleep, but couldn't remember a time she ever fell asleep before her, "Rei?" She could feel the change in her body as soon as she said her name.

"Yes?" She asked softly.

She didn't immediately reply, but she tightened her hold slightly before speaking again, "Are you worried about this new enemy?"

The question made her much more alert. She hadn't expected such a serious question as she was very nearly drifting off to sleep, but if she wanted to talk about this now, she would do just that. She tried to turn over and face her girlfriend, except she was holding her too tightly to allow such movement. Instead, she covered the hands on her stomach, "I am. I'm worried about what kind of plan they have. I'm worried about what kind of strength they possess. Most of all, I'm worried about our daughter. She's completely defenseless if someone isn't with her, but that's why I made Haruka promise to keep her safe. Also to contact us if anything does happen around her."

"So that's what you were talking to her about before everyone left?" Usagi asked quietly as she drew small circles on her abdomen with her fingers.

Rei smiled at how nice Usagi's nails felt, though she knew the other girl couldn't see her from her position. It took her a moment to realize she had become distracted and Usagi asked her a question, "Yeah. I would have liked for her to stay here, knowing what we know now, but I can't always be here what with school and…" She paused when she felt lips press to her neck.

Rei sighed softly as she felt Usagi not stop with the one kiss. She trailed a line of light kisses up her neck to her cheek, until pulling away a little to bring her lips close to her ear, "You don't have to put everything on your shoulders. It's important that you let yourself rely on others."

"Mmm…" She purred, not quite able to bring herself to speak at that moment. She knew that was hardly what her girlfriend wanted hear, so she found herself sighing once again before being able to voice her thoughts, "I know what you're saying, I do…it's just not easy for me to rely on someone else to keep someone I care about safe." She paused for a moment, but quickly added, "I trust Haruka and Michiru and Hotaru. I know they are capable of protecting her, but…" She paused for a moment, when she felt another firm kiss to her cheek prompting her to continue, "It's like how I want to protect you. I trust our friends, but if it's me by your side, I know nothing will hurt you because I'll protect you." Again she found herself pausing, "That almost sounds worse. I feel like I'm an awful friend. I sound like I don't have faith in them…"

Usagi finally released her hold around Rei's abdomen and placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her to lie on her back. Once she was in her new position, Usagi quickly moved to straddle the other girl's waist and lean forward so that she had a clear view into Rei's eyes, "You could never be an awful friend, I know how much you care about all of them. You simply want to protect the people you love and that does not make you a poor friend.

"I know, but…" She said and tried to look away, but Usagi reached up and held her in place.

"Just believe in my words, Rei. I know where your heart is and it is pure and only with love where your feelings come from." She said softly and stroked the hair framing her face.

A part of her wanted to deny what she was saying because she knew there was also a possessiveness that played a part in the way she felt and being possessive wasn't such a pure emotion, but Usagi's words and touch were nearly impossible to deny. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing herself to only focus the girl above her. She sighed as she felt lighter; Usagi's presence seemed to do wonders for her own balance. She opened her eyes a moment later and saw she was being watched intently, "Thank you."

Usagi smiled, "You don't need thank me, Rei." She said and lean down to meet her girlfriend's lips. Rei reached up and rested her hands on Usagi's waist, holding her loosely in place. When she pulled back, she also moved to lie beside her again, resting her head on her shoulder, similar to how laid together initially that night. "You know you don't have to hold anything…" She was interrupted by a yawn escaping her lips, "Sorry. You don't have to hold anything back with me."

Rei smiled and held the blonde closer, "I'll try to do better." She said before kissing the top of her head, "We probably should try to get some sleep though, because I'm probably going to wake you up early again. I want to talk to Jii-chan before the jinja opens tomorrow." Usagi nodded slowly against Rei's chest in response. "Sleep well my Princess."

"Sweet dreams, Rei." The blonde said softly, before yawning again.

Rei sighed quietly and listened to Usagi's breathing. She tilted her head to see what time it was and had to suppress a groan, 'So much for getting a few more hours of rest.' She thought but heard Usagi mumble something, bringing a smile to her lips. A couple more wakeful hours with Usagi was something won't ever pass up though. She closed her eyes with that thought in mind and waited for sleep to take her.

End Ch.14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that chapter seemed to just go on and on. Sorry if it felt that way for those of you reading. This was such a ‘talky’ chapter and I don’t really write many of those. I promise the chapter will make up for any disappointment with this one, although it will probably be just as long, maybe longer… 
> 
> So any reviews would be much appreciated. :D


	15. Secrets not well Hidden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've upped the rating for this story because of the content in this chapter. It'll be obvious why… Oh and remember that I said this chapter would be even longer than the last one, I didn't lie. Be prepared for a very long chapter.

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 15 – Secrets not well Hidden  
~~~~******~~~~

During the ride from the shrine, Chibi-Usa kept sneaking glances at the pale girl in the backseat with her. She hadn't let go of her hand until it was necessary for them to get into Haruka's car. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was upset about something. She'd seen how good she was a hiding her feelings before, when she talked about her father. Her eyes traveled to the two women in the front seats, before looking back at the girl beside her, 'Perhaps it'll be best left until we are alone.' Still, she missed the warmth from the hand of the girl beside her. She looked at her for a moment, but looked forward with a sigh. It was such an unnecessary thing to be thinking about, especially when it seemed like they were getting closer to their destination.

"Are you alright?"

Chibi-Usa was a little surprised to hear the question she'd been thinking of asking the other girl from her instead. Perhaps she sighed a little too loud, but she wanted to answer her honestly, "I'm better." She smiled as she added, "Mama has always had a way getting me to tell her things and I guess that's true even now." She could see Hotaru nod as she finished.

"I'm glad. I knew that talking with them would help." She said with a small smile.

She returned her smile as she said, "I guess I worry about things too much"

"I think you do as well, but you don't need to." She said and reached over, touching her shoulder lightly, "We can help you. All you need to do is talk to us."

Chibi-Usa nodded and was about to speak when she felt the vehicle come to a stop. Hotaru pulled her hand away as Haruka cut off the engine while she quickly felt disappointed that they reached their destination already, but she did her best to not show it as she followed everyone out of the car. When she stepped out, she saw Haruka already removing bags from the trunk, 'I'd almost forgotten all about what we bought earlier.'

"Do you want any help?" The pink haired girl asked.

Haruka shook her head, "It's fine, I've got them."

She nodded and noticed Hotaru step over to her and extend her hand, "Let's head inside." She smiled and took her hand and allowed her to lead her to their home, where Michiru stood holding the door open for them. She quietly thanked her as they stepped inside.

A few seconds later, Haruka came in holding the bags up slightly, "I guess I should bring these to your room, Hotaru?"

"Yes, thank you." The pale girl replied.

Just as the tall blonde reached the staircase, Chibi-Usa spoke, "Is it alright if I turn in for the night?"

Michiru was the first to speak up as she said, "Of course, it's been a long day so it's understandable that you would need to rest."

"I'll join you. I'm not quite tired enough to fall asleep, but I can keep you company." Hotaru offered quickly.

The pink haired girl smiled, "Thank you, I would like that."

"Party in Hotaru's room then?" Haruka asked with a laugh in her voice, but when all she was met with was silence, she sighed softly, "Fine, no party then." She focused on her lover as she spoke again, "I'll just drop these off and meet you in our then, Michiru?"

"Of course, darling."

With that she began to ascend the stairs, followed closely by the other two girls. As soon as they reached the room, Haruka entered and set all the bags down near the younger girl's dresser. She stood up and walked over to the door, "If you need anything, you know where to find us." She said and started to walk out but paused a second later, "Just knock first though." She added before leaving.

Chibi-Usa walked over to the bed across the room, while Hotaru looked at all the bags sitting on the floor for a moment, "I didn't even think about where we were going to put all of this." She said quietly, more to herself than anything. She looked between her lone dresser and her relatively small closet. "Perhaps we should do some rearranging tomorrow since it's a little late to do any of that today." She said and turned to the pink haired girl.

Chibi-Usa nodded, "Okay, unless you think it would be easier to store everything in another room."

Hotaru walked over to the other girl and sat beside her, "Are you trying to get out of staying with me after only one night?"

"W-What?! No! I just…" She stopped when she heard a muffled giggle from the other girl, "You are messing with me aren't you?" She asked with a small pout.

The dark haired girl smiled and touched Chibi-Usa's bare knee next to her own, "Sorry Princess, I couldn't help myself."

"I know I was hesitant to share your room, but I'm glad that you insisted. I…" She paused and thought about how she was going to phrase what she was feeling without sounding weird. It seemed like she kept having this problem with the other girl. Hotaru was different than anyone else she'd known and so she felt different about her than she did anyone else as well. Still she need to finish what she was trying to say, because she could pretty much feel her eyes on but then she felt her squeeze her knee slightly, she feared she may have made this weird enough because she couldn't articulate herself properly. So she just decided to say what was on her mind, the best she could at the moment, "It was comforting to be near someone last night and you helped me, multiple times."

"I'm just happy to help you however I can." She said with a smile and dropped her hand before moving to get up, but the other girl's voice stopped her.

"Then…would you think it strange of me to…"

"I would never think you're strange, I promise." Hotaru interjected quickly cutting short the other girl. She would do it over and over again, as many times as she needed to get it across to her. There was nothing she could do or say that would make her think she was weird or strange. Besides, she wanted her to speak and act freely around; she wanted her to trust her.

Chibi-Usa looked down before nodding slightly, "Would you lay with me and allow me to hold you?" Despite what Hotaru said, she still felt weird making the request. Her original plan was to talk with the girl for a while, now that she found herself sitting on Hotaru's bed, in the dimly lit room, she wanted to simply lay down with her. Perhaps that made her a poor friend, because she was sure that there was something on her mind, but she was only thinking of herself.

"Wouldn't you like to change first?" Hotaru asked, but saw the other girl simply shake her head 'no'. She had already promised her that she would be whatever she needed and at this moment, she apparently needed someone to hold, "It would be my pleasure, Princess." She said and got up to walk to the other side of the bed. She had no intention of making the other girl get up, since they weren't in the best position to simply lay back as they sat. They may as well be comfortable on the bed. She lay on her back and looked at the pink haired girl as she seemed to be waiting for her to get situated.

Chibi-Usa moved up a little before swinging her leg up, to lie on the bed. She pushed down her dress as she felt it ride up a bit following the movement. Afterwards, she looked at Hotaru almost expecting her to change her mind or something, but she didn't. So she shifted a little closer and carefully, almost tentatively wrapped her arms around her middle, resting her head near her shoulder.

Hotaru waited a moment to make sure she wasn't going change her position, before draping her arms over her upper back. She heard the pink haired sigh softly a few moments later, bringing a smile to her face, she was just happy that she could make her feel at ease. She tried to show that being held by her or holding her wasn't something she saw as awkward, she was perfectly fine with it, maybe a little more than fine, honestly.

They silently stayed like they were for a little while, but even Chibi-Usa's mind began to wonder what exactly prompted her to ask this of her friend. She remembered something her Mama told her before and she smiled, letting small bout of laughter slip passed her lips.

"What are you think about?"

"I was just thinking about something Mama told me…" She said paused for a second, closing her eyes to allow herself to become enveloped by the memory. "She had just returned from a mission to… I don't recall the planet actually, but it was late and I must have fallen asleep waiting because she was later than she was supposed to be. I woke when I felt someone kiss my forehead and saw it was my Mama. I was so happy to see her that I jumped out of bed and hugged her with all my might." She stopped to yawn, but after a moment she continued, soundly a little sleepier though, "She apologized for being gone so long, but that really didn't matter to me in that moment because she was home. When she finally able to pull away, she looked at me and said…"

~  
"Your light has dimmed some since I last saw you. I would tell you not to worry about me on the rare occasions I need to leave you and Serenity, but I think only make you worry more. So, when you do find yourself worrying or sad or upset, talk to someone. Serenity always has time for you, any of the girls are more than willing to help, even the quartet are here for you. I know you're brave, but you are just like Serenity. You need love and affection to be at you're brightest. And I want you always at your brightest, my sweet angel."  
~

"Mama always knew what say, even when I didn't always remember or follow her advice...like I should."

Chibi-Usa yawned softly and mumbled something Hotaru couldn't quite understand, "What was that?" Hotaru asked quietly, but when she didn't get a response she tilted her head a little to try to see the other girl's face, "Ri…" She began to say, but saw that she must have fallen asleep. She looked around for a moment and debated with herself silently if she should wake the girl, they were still in their clothes they wore that day. Her eyes focused on the future Princess curled against her, no she wouldn't wake her, instead deciding to simply lay her head back and close her eyes and let sleep take her as well.

~~~~******~~~~

Rei sat on her futon and waited for Usagi to return from her shower. She'd already finished and been dressed for a good twenty minutes. She was rather proud of herself that she managed to extract herself Usagi when she awoke without waking the sleeping blonde. She always woke up early and she knew Usagi's tendency to oversleep, so naturally she woke up when the sun had barely risen. After such a long day the yesterday, she wanted to let Usagi catch a little more sleep. So, with great care she managed to slip out of her girlfriend's arms, while she remained blissfully asleep.

As soon as she grabbed her clothes, she made sure to kiss her sleeping Princess on the cheek before heading to her bathroom. She was surprised that Usagi was awake when she returned fully dressed for the day. She woke up some time after she left and couldn't fall back asleep. When she reminded Usagi that she wanted to talk with her grandfather before the shrine opened, Usagi noted that she should probably get dressed as well.

So, again that's why Rei sat alone on her futon. She was sure Usagi wouldn't be much longer, but she was glad for a couple minutes to herself so that she could prep herself for speaking with her grandfather. He was always understanding with her, but she'd never discussed same sex relationships with him and while Shinto didn't explicitly condemn such relationship, they weren't exactly celebrated either, more frowned upon than anything. She trusted that her grandfather would understand, he knew Usagi, it wasn't like it was some random girl. He liked Usagi already, so that wouldn't be an issue. The bottom line was that she trusted him. Her father on the other hand, she didn't want to think about what he'd say, not like she had any plans on telling him.

She heard the door slid open and looked up to see Usagi walk in wearing jeans and a white and black striped button down blouse. Rei smiled and got up to meet her half way, "You look lovely, Usa." She said softly and took the other girl's hands.

"You are beautiful as well." She said as her eyes took in her girlfriend, she hadn't really earlier because she was honestly still partially asleep when she stepped out of the room. She felt Rei rub her hands after a moment, drawing her attention back to her face, smiling as she asked, "Are you ready to talk to Ojii-chan?"

Rei took a deep breath before speaking, "I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I want to tell him and I want to be able to touch you and wonder if he suspects something. I don't want him to find out that way or any other way, except from my own mouth."

Usagi smiled and squeezed her hands, "I'm right here with you, you know that." She said and gave her a quick kiss. "Do you know where he might be?" She asked once she pulled away.

Rei nodded, "He usually tends to the herb and vegetable garden, just outside the kitchen in mornings on the weekends." She said and took one more deep breath, "Let's go find him then!" She released one of Usagi's hands to open her door. The kitchen was just down the hall and to the left, so it didn't take them long to reach it. Rei could see that the door to the outside was open, so she knew that he was where she expected. "Jii-chan." Rei called to the older man.

The elderly man stood up from the planets he was tending to, brushing his hands on his pants lightly, getting rid of some of the dirt but some still clung to his fingers. He stepped inside the kitchen as he spoke, "Ah Rei, did you need something?"

"I wanted to know if you had a few minutes. I have something that I need to talk with you about." She answered quickly.

It wasn't often she came to him like this, so whatever it was, he knew it was important, "Of course, child. I just need to clean these up." He said, holding his hands up, showing how dirt covered they still were.

"Thank you, Jii-chan. We'll just wait for you in the hall just off the entrance." Rei said and bowed her head before heading out of the room, but not before told her grandfather good morning, which he returned. She lead Usagi away, not even realizing that their hands were still attached, but the elderly man in the room took notice as they left him.

It only took them a few seconds to reach the room Rei told her grandfather they would be. There wasn't really any furniture in the room, but that was true of most rooms, they lived rather modestly. She was fine with sitting on the ground and once she was a few steps inside, she did just that, crossing her legs when she was seated. Usagi did the same to Rei's left. They sat in silence for maybe thirty seconds, not really expecting the older man to be too far along.

Both girls a little hesitant to do anything as small as hold hand, certainly not any kissing, thinking it would be that exactly moment when he would open the door. Usagi though has always been an affectionate type of person, so it didn't really surprise Rei when she felt her move closer, so their arms were touching and rest her head on her shoulder. When a couple more seconds passed, Rei asked, "Are you comfortable, Princess?"

"Mmm…very." She replied softly.

Rei laughed lightly at that, but before she could say anything they heard someone just outside the room. Usagi quickly raised her head, but didn't make any attempt to move away. Rei looked into the blonde's cerulean eyes and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too." Usagi replied just as quietly, right before the other girl's grandfather stepped into the room.

"Sorry for making you wait." He apologized as moved to sit in front of the two teens. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" He asked as soon he was seated.

She had been so confident in her room, but now that this conversation was really going to happen, her nerves began to set in a little. She instinctively sought Usagi's hand and interlaced their fingers as soon as found it. It was irrational to be afraid of her grandfather's reaction, he was as polar opposite of his son than any parent and child could be. She could feel Usagi's hand squeeze her own, she was really beginning to love how well Usagi was becoming apt at picking up on what she needed, 'I should ask her about.' She thought to herself at that moment, but that could wait. Rei took a deep breath before beginning, "Jii-chan there's something important about me that I need to tell you about."

"It's certainly a rare thing to see you looking so nervous child. What is it that has you in such a state?" He asked calmly.

"Ever since my mother died, you've been the one who raised me and your opinion is important to me, more than anyone else's." She was pleased to feel Usagi's thumb gently rubbing the top of her hand. Talking about her mother even after all this time wasn't easy for her, but it also made her realize she hadn't ever really spoken to Usagi about it, her past. It wasn't anything that came up, but she still felt bad, like she should explain, even if that wasn't what this conversation was meant to be about. She turned to her girlfriend, "Usagi, I..."

She again gave another, firmer squeeze of her hand, causing Rei not continue whatever she was going to say, "We have plenty of time to talk with one another. I'm sure your grandfather is curious about what you wanted to tell him."

Rei looked over to her grandfather quickly, he was still waiting patiently wearing a warm smile, "Sorry, Jii-chan I didn't mean to get distracted."

The elderly man smiled as he said, "That's alright Rei." As he finished, he subtly glanced at the girls joined hands, "I know how difficult things were after you mother passed away and I did the best I could for you…"

"And you were great, incredibly patient with me even when I wasn't the most appreciative..." She said, trailing off at the end.

"You were a child Rei and you barely knew me, I knew it would take time for you adjust to everything, but all of that is in the past child. There's no reason to dwell on it after all this time."

Everything he said was true, but she still regretted how long it took her to stop being so distant with him, to actually trust him. However, didn't do her any good to go back and forth with him about it either as neither were likely to change their minds. It was better to just get back to why she wanted to talk with him. "You're right, I guess I just wanted to you to know how important to me and why I need to tell you this." She said, taking a deep breath afterward and again she felt Usagi squeeze her hand, making a smile play at her lips. "I love someone, I mean I'm in love with someone and she is the most incredible person. I know that I'm going to love her for the rest of my life and…" She stopped when she noticed the grin on her grandfather's face, "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

His smile didn't leave his face as he spoke, "You didn't really think that I couldn't see how much cared about Tsukino-san, did you? There was a change in you after she came here a few years back. I had thought that perhaps you didn't see it in yourself, but clearly that wasn't the case. She is good for you, I can see that." He said and looked at Usagi briefly before focusing on his granddaughter again. "If that's all, I probably should see that the Jinja opens on time." He said and started to get up.

"Wait…that's it?" Rei asked quickly, before he was on his feet.

The elderly man looked at his granddaughter questioningly, "Was there something you needed to tell me?"

"…No." She virtually whispered, causing him to nod.

"Then I guess it is." He said and finally stood up, moving toward the door. Before he left though, he turned to his granddaughter once more, "You are happy Rei, probably the happiest you've been since you started living here and that's what's important to me." He said and left the two girls alone in the room.

Rei sat silently for a few minutes, a little dumbfounding by how that conversation went. She really thought she would have to explain herself more. She was pulled out of her head, when she felt Usagi's lips press against her cheek, near the corner of her lips. She quickly turned to her and fully met her lips. One of Usagi's hands found Rei's neck, while her own hands played along her girlfriend's back. It took Rei a few minutes to realize where they were and that the shrine would be opening in minutes and it would be best to do this somewhere more private. She pulled away and smiled as she said, "We should, I don't know celebrate or something. Did you want to do anything, Usa?"

"I just want to be with you." Usagi said softly as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Rei nodded and stood up before helping Usagi to her feet as well. They began to make their way to her room, but her mind was drawn back to her grandfather, "That…almost seemed too easy." Rei murmured as they approached her bedroom. She sounded relieved, but still somewhat unbelieving at how smoothly that conversation just went.

Usagi rubbed indistinct patterns where her hand rested on her girlfriend's hip, "That's good though, right?"

Rei smiled at what the other girl said. It was true after all, "You're right of course." She said and kissed her cheek before opening her door. They hadn't discussed what they wanted to do that day, partially because Rei thought her talk with her grandfather would have lasted longer than it did. As soon as they entered the room though, they were met by an unexpected guest.

"Artemis? What are doing here?" Rei asked curiously.

The two girls entered the room, looking around, expecting to see their blonde friend with him but that didn't seem to be the case. "Is Minako here with you?"

The white cat appeared to look around for moment as well before answering the Moon Princess, "No, she doesn't know that I'm even here."

"What's wrong?" Rei asked, getting to the point. She had a pretty good idea that his coming here had to do with the blonde that was absent, but she wanted to hear it from him herself. She really hoped for the best for her friend, but there was a feeling that she was unhappy, it just refused to go away. She really thought she would talk to her after everything that happened…

"I'm worried about Minako, she hasn't been herself and she won't talk to me about it, which makes me more worried." The white cat explained, getting to the point of his being there immediately.

"I noticed that she wasn't acting like herself too and that's why I wanted us to have fun together yesterday." Usagi glanced subtly at the girl beside, silently asking if she wanted to explain that, but she remained silent, looking a little lost in thought honestly. "As I'm sure you already know we had to cut short, so we weren't able to spend as much time with her as I wanted to. We'll certainly help however we can, Artemis."

"The problem is she just keeps saying that she's fine. I keep telling her that I'll listen to whatever is on her mind, but she won't talk." Artemis said and began to pace.

The dark haired girl sighed quietly, "I think it would best if I tried talking to her." Rei said after a moment. She looked to her girlfriend as she added, "I think I can get her to open up about things." She brought them both to her futon, where they both sat down a moment later.

"What do you mean, Rei?" Usagi asked curiously.

Rei shift a little and sat fully on her futon, crossing her legs, while Usagi mirrored her so that they were facing her each other completely, "It's just…" She began, but sighed before she really got started. She looked down and took Usagi's hands in her own before looking up after a moment, "What exactly do you remember about our lives during the Silver Millennium?"

Usagi cocked her head to side and bite her lower lip lightly, she was initially going to ask what their past lives had to do with anything, but she could see the seriousness in her girlfriend's eyes. She looked at their joined hands and closed her eyes. She had tried to remember many times, but much of what she could remember always felt incomplete. It was like she had pieces of a puzzle, but never the full picture. She felt Rei squeeze her hands, drawing her attention back to her face, "I really don't remember much. Every time I try to, I never seem to get anything."

Rei nodded and rubbed the other girl's hands. She mentioned it, offhandedly on the Moon, but there was a lot going on, so perhaps she'd start there, "When you brought me back from Kei's corruption, you did more than help me remember myself in this life; you gave me back my memories from then as well."

"I still don't understand…" Usagi said softly, her confusion getting the better of her.

Rei smiled and let go of her left hand, bringing her now free hand to her girlfriend's face, stroking her cheek with the back of her hand slowly in an effort to alleviate any worries. "Since you don't remember, obviously there are somethings that you don't know and some of it may surprise you, but what I'm going to tell is all true. I would never lie to you." She said seriously and stilled her hand, lowered her hand to take both her hands once again, "I know there was a lot going on around us, but do you remember before we fought with Kei that I told you I've always loved you. Even back then, when I should have been satisfied with merely being in your presence and your guard, I loved you."

Usagi nodded slightly, "I remember." She said but continued to stare intently into Rei's eyes. There was a sadness reflected back at her, that didn't feel right for one talking about love. She held her girlfriend's hands a little tighter as she waited for her to continue.

"It wasn't one sided, Usagi." Rei said calmly, but could see the surprise in her widened eyes. She felt the strong urge to kiss her at that moment, but she knew she had to tell this story because it was Usagi's story as well, even if she didn't remember. "Long before Endymion entered your life, you and I were lovers." She said and smiled slightly thinking of a time long since passed. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Usagi grip her hands tightly.

"H-How…how could I not remember?" Usagi asked frantically, but her voice sounded so broken that Rei could literally her heart constrict at the tears forming in her eyes especially when it was because of something she'd said.

Rei quickly released her girlfriend's hands and pulled her into her lap. She wrapped her arms securely around the blonde when she felt her head rest snuggly in the crook of her neck.

She felt as though the little she knew of the Silver Millennium was a lie. How could everything have played out as she was shown if she loved Rei? She couldn't imagine that she stopped loving her, especially with how she feels now. A part of it made sense to her now though. It wasn't something she'd done consciously, but if she compared her connection to Mamoru to the one she had Rei…it was nearly incomparable. How could she not remember that? She could fell Rei's hands rubbing her back and even with so much on her mind, she was having trouble voicing all these thoughts, so she simply closed her eyes and buried her face into the space between her neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply, welcoming a scent that was uniquely Rei.

Rei placed a firm kiss to the top of her girlfriend's head, "I truly did not know my love for you extended beyond this life until you helped me remember. You deserve to know everything that I do and if I knew how, I'd give you your memories too. I swear that I would." She said and kissed the same spot again, resting her cheek there afterward.

"I know you would." Usagi said quietly after they remained in that same position for a short time.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know, but first I want to explain why I feel like I owe it to Minako to help her." Rei said quietly before she felt her Princess nod. Usagi shift a little, so Rei loosened her hold allowing her to reposition herself. She still leaned heavily on Rei, but now she rested on the left side of her front, wrapping her arm around her waist. Rei rested an arm across her shoulders and waited a few more seconds until she was sure her girlfriend was comfortable, "I loved you from the moment I set foot on the Moon. You were there to greet me, well not just me really, all of us that were to be your guard. I was only a child so I didn't know then what it was that I felt for you, but I knew you were the most beautiful being I'd ever seen." She rubbed her upper arm softly. She preferred to think of that as the start of her life, "I'd never seen such beauty on Mars. My home world was harsh for child. Nothing of beauty flourished there…"

"You did." Usagi interjected quickly.

Rei smiled despite where her previous thoughts were, "I was born there and spent the first five years of my life there, but the Moon was where my home was. If I had remained on Mars, I know I would have been a very different person." Her smile dropping at that thought, but she quickly shook her head and looked down to see Usagi's cerulean eyes staring at her, bringing a fresh smile to her face, "But that didn't happen, so that's unimportant." She said and leaned down, kissing the other girl softly for a moment.

"To be honest, we didn't truly become really close until Kei attacked you that night. Before that, I honestly didn't know how to act around you. You were so carefree and innocent and so…pure, while I only knew about fighting and battle tactics, I literally began training as soon as I could walk. I simply couldn't understand you and I was harsh with many times when I felt like you were interfering with my training, though all you were trying to do was build a friendship. In my eyes I was trying to get stronger for you, to protect you, but I didn't know how to express that in words. I knew I could only keep you safe if I was strong. Protecting you that night was the first time I could show my worth. I was prepared to give my life for you." She'd been staring ahead as she spoke, somewhat lost in her own memories, but she looked at Usagi as she finished. She'd already explained what happened that night, but she hadn't explained her own thoughts from that night then.

She leaned down and kissed her forehead, partially to give herself a short break but also because she needed to feel her lips on her girlfriend. Her Princess was being so attentive and hadn't really interrupted her and she loved her for that. She sighed softly; she knew she'd soon be getting to a difficult part for her. It would be a lie to say she didn't still feel a strong resentment about what happened, but it was a part of their story and Usagi needed to hear it. She decided to pick up where she left off for the time being though, "I remember when I woke up and you there in the infirmary, I was so happy that you were safe. It was the happiest I'd ever been up until that point in my life." She felt Usagi's arm tighten ever so slightly, that small movement warmed her heart though.

"We were nearly inseparable once I recovered. It still took me a while to comfortably talk about stuff, but you helped with that. I still trained rigorously because I never wanted to be so weak as to almost allow you to be hurt again." She smiled as she thought about how close they became after she'd kept her at such a distance, but she realized she should probably jump ahead a little, or she'd never get to point. "You kissed me after we celebrated your fourteenth birthday…" She smiled as she drifted off before laughing lightly, "It had to be you, because I never would have taken that step."

Rei let a deep breath escape passed her lips before continuing, "We both agreed to keep our relationship a secret, at least until we figured out how to tell your mother. Before we knew it though, a year had passed and then another six months were gone and I guess we'd just grown used to how things were. Even when…" She pause, feeling a little embarrassed at what she was about to say. It seemed a little weird to tell her about their first time and she didn't remember any of it, though perhaps that was for the best, since neither of them knew what they were doing. "Even when we made love the night of my sixteenth birthday, we still remained silent about our relationship. We really thought your mother was none the wiser, it was foolish because about four months later, not too long after your own sixteenth, the two of us were called to meet with your mother…"

~flashback~

Diana and Serenity held hands and laughed as they reached the throne room. They'd been called to meet Queen Serenity and though neither knew why, they didn't seem concerned though. Both girls stopped for a moment to compose themselves, they were going to meet with the Queen after all. Once they'd calmed down and each girl was prepared to act in a manner befitting of royalty, Diana pushed open the double doors for her Princess. She held them open until Serenity entered the room and follow in faithfully behind her. Serenity stopped a short distance in front of her mother; Diana did the same as she came even with the Princess. Both girls bowed before the Queen before speaking, Diana also dropped to one knee afterward and remained in the position.

"You called for us mother?"

Queen Serenity smiled for a brief moment before becoming serious, "Yes. Thank you for coming so quickly." She looked between the two teens for a moment before focusing on Mars, "Diana, you care about my daughter greatly do you not?"

The soldier of flame looked a little surprised by the question, but wasted little time answering honestly, "I-I do your majesty. The Princess is very important to me and I swear that I will keep her safe until my dying breath."

The Queen nodded slightly at the girl's declaration, "I'm pleased that you are so dedicated to your position of her guard." The elder Serenity said before becoming silent again and glancing at her daughter for a second. Her eyes fell back on Diana as she spoke again, "So it's come to my attention that the two of you have become closer recently."

The Princess looked at her guard briefly, but turned quickly to her mother upon seeing a look of panic form on her face, "We have always been close, mother. Diana is my personal guard and my most trusted confidant."

The Queen took a deep breath and focused her attention of her daughter, "Is that really all she is to you?" The two teens wore similar worried expressions. If it wouldn't have drawn further suspicion, they would have reached out to each other, so they refrained.

"I-I don't know what you are suggesting, Mother." The teen stated as calmly as she could.

"I had hoped you would be honest with me, but that doesn't appear how this will go." Queen Serenity said and closed her eye momentarily. If she was going to do this, she was going to look both girls in their eyes, she would take their anger and pain or anything else they wished to throw at her. She knew she would deserve all of it and more. "I know." She said quietly and looked between the two girls in front of her. She saw Diana was about to speak, so she quickly continued, "Do not try to deny it. I know that the both of you have being having some secret affair with one another. The two of you will cease this relationship immediately; all of this will stop now. Diana, you are her guard and nothing more."

"M-Mother…please…" Serenity cried, barely able to keep herself from falling into hysterics. It never occurred to her that her mother would be against her relationship with Diana. Love is a precious thing and it was to be cherished, that was what her mother taught her, but now she was the very same person telling her that she wasn't allowed to love.

Diana stood up abruptly, "I refuse! I love your daughter and I will not break our relationship off."

Queen Serenity didn't falter as she spoke, "If you wish to hold on to your title as Sailor Mars, you will do as I have ordered."

Diana couldn't believe her Queen would threaten to remove her from her position as her Princess' guard. She could feel her chest tighten at the thought. At the same time a lump made itself painfully known in her throat. She opened her mouth to say something...anything, but nothing came out. Serenity however, spoke up for her lover.

"Mother, you can't! Diana is my guard."

"I'm fully aware of that. As am I aware of how great a warrior she has become, but I am serious. I will remove your title and you will be sent back to Mars." She said addressing Diana with her last statement.

Diana could feel her eyes fill with tears she refused to shed, not in front of the Queen who had just ripped her heart out. Her home was here with Serenity. Mars was a distant memory for her and the thought of being forced to return there may as well have been a death sentence, "I thought better of you my Queen! I will never forgive you for this!" The dark haired girl yelled and turned on her heel and sprinted from the throne room, finally allowing her tears to fall.

Serenity fell to her knees and wept into her hands. Queen Serenity didn't say anything immediately as she watched her daughter with pained eyes. After a short time Serenity composed herself enough to speak a few words, "Why? I love her, mother. I love her so much."

"I know." Queen Serenity acknowledged quietly.

The young princess looked up angrily, "Then why?!"

The elder Serenity took a deep breath, "Sometimes you need to put aside your feelings and do your duty, no matter how hard it may be." She said, but her heart broke even as she spoke those words to her daughter. They were not words she believed herself, yet she was telling them to her daughter. She knew at this moment that she'd never forgive herself for crushing her daughter's love. She'd known Diana since the girl was barely five and she knew the girl would do anything for her daughter, she proved that years ago when she saved Serenity's life despite being so very powerless at the time. It was from that moment she could feel her daughter and Diana grow closer and closer until they eventually became lovers. She knew exactly how far their relationship had progressed and even though her daughter had only recently turned sixteen, she was a woman now. And as one woman to another there was only one thing she could give her…one last night with her lover.

"I'll give you until light tomorrow." Queen Serenity said, causing her daughter to look at her in surprise. "Go find her and be with her with the time you have left."

Serenity didn't know what prompted her mother to give her this little bit of time, but she wasn't going to waste any more time thinking about it. She quickly got up and ran from the throne room, her heels clicking loudly as she ran in search of her lover. "Diana!" Serenity called down the hall as soon as she exited the throne room. She hoped she would not have gotten far, but she didn't receive a response immediately, she knew her lover well enough to know she would come to her if she heard her calling for her; she must have used her abilities to get away as quickly as possible. Serenity took a deep breath to calm herself, she would need to focus if she were to find Diana quickly, 'Where have you gone?' She thought a closed her eyes, her thoughts solely on the Princess of Mars. After a few seconds she felt a pull and she knew instantly where to find her.

She ran has fast as her legs would carry her, narrowly avoiding several guards and citizens in her haste. She didn't even take the time offer any apologizes, she had to find Diana. She knew how devastated she was when she left the throne room. It hurt so very much that her lover was in so much pain. She knew she had to do whatever she could to ease that pain and right now that meant she needed her in her arms. She breathed a sigh of relief at the metaphorical light at the end the tunnel. The gardens were just down the end of that hall, "Diana!" She called out for her guard, knowing there was no way she couldn't hear her. She sprinted the rest of the distance, seeing the dark haired beauty stepping into view.

As soon as she spotted Diana she ran to her calling out her name again. The dark haired warrior spotted the girl calling her name while her eyes widened in surprise. She didn't think her mother would have allowed her to be anywhere near her again, but here she was and before she knew it, slamming into her. Serenity threw her arms around her guard as soon as she reached her and she could feel strong arms on her waist supporting her. She could see confusion written all over her face, but she didn't want to waste time on words, not yet. So before Diana could even question her, she smashed their lips together. It was rough and needy, not like how they usually kissed. It was also very much out in the open and not behind closed doors, but she didn't care if anyone saw, her mother only gave her a short time to be with her lover and she wasn't going to waste a moment of it.

She pulled back sooner than she would have liked, but she had run from the throne room to here and her lungs were begging for air. She was now able to take a moment to look at her lover's face, she could still see the stains of tears on her cheeks and they made her heart ache. Thankfully, her breathing had finally mostly normalized, "My room…now." She said and released her hold she had around her shoulders and her guard's hands that rested on her waist loosened in return. She didn't wait for a response before grabbing her hand and leading her back through the palace and toward her room.

"Princess, I don't…"

"My mother said…" She paused as they turned a corner, getting closer to their destination. "We can have this evening together." She said as they reached her bedroom door. She didn't waste any time opening her door, pulling Diana in along with her, and closing the door as soon they were both inside. Serenity leaned in to capture her lover's lips once again, except a pair of hands on her shoulders stalled her.

"Only tonight?" Diana asked quietly, not quite meeting her Princess' eyes.

"Would you rather not be with me?" She asked and placed her hands atop the ones on her shoulders.

The Moon Princess' question brought her full attention as she spoke earnestly, "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you, I just…"

"Then, no more talking." Serenity said and quickly brought their lips together in another bruising kiss. Any further of her lover's words were silenced by her mouth. She removed Diana's hands as she slowly began to bring her further into her room, kicking off her heels to the side of the room somewhere, she honestly didn't really care, and bringing her closer to the end of her bed. "My lips only have one purpose for the rest of this evening." She said and pushed Diana on to her bed before quickly joining her, straddling the slightly taller girl, "And that is not talking." She leaned forward and captured the lips of the raven haired girl. Serenity reached up a tangled her fingers through the dark tresses as she leaned more heavily on the girl beneath her and separated herself from her lips before proceeding to kiss her way to Diana's ear. She nipped playfully at her ear, drawing a whimper from the Martian warrior.

"Their only purpose is to pleasure you." She whispered throatily as she pulled at the collar of the girl's dress, exposing her shoulder which she quickly showered with attention from her lips even as she pulled the infuriating red fabric down more, until Diana could free her arm. When the limb was free she continued a trail of kisses down her arm until she reached her warrior's hand. This is the hand that has protected her and has loved her, so it deserved a little more attention. She kissed the top of it before turning it over and placing a kiss on her palm. She kissed each finger individually then interlaced their fingers and squeezing her hand lightly. She released her hand after a moment before feeling her way back up her arm, until she found herself at her neck.

She showered kisses upon her warrior's neck, as she inched closer to her left side. Again she pulled at the fabric covering her other shoulder, while she kissed her collarbone and slowly made her way to her now exposed shoulder. While her other hand slipped underneath the other girl and searched blindly for the zipper to the dress. When it took her several seconds to find it, she realized it may have been easier to get her out of her dress before she pushed her on to her bed, but she wasn't really thinking at that time. She smiled triumphantly against her neck when she managed to pull the zipper down. She pulled back a little and took the now loose dress in her hands and began to pull it down.

Diana arched her back off the bed to aid her in removing her dress, but she didn't immediately pull it down, instead choosing to kiss her way across the exposed skin of her chest that her dress left uncovered. She expected Serenity to already be attending to her breasts because she always seemed to enjoy lavishing them with attention and she didn't usually deny herself when they made love, but it seemed she was using a different tactic tonight. Diana was more than willing to let her do as she wished. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to become lost in the feel of her Princess' lips and tongue, simply humming contently.

Serenity pulled back slightly and grabbed the top of the red dress more firmly before proceeding to slowly pulled it down, freeing her lover's breasts, smiling as they bounced slightly as they were no longer contained by the restricting dress. Serenity had to use a lot of self-control when she found herself hovering over Diana's now exposed breasts. She wanted to get her out of her dress as soon as possible and she knew if she let herself get distracted it would only take longer, but she couldn't deny herself completely. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss over her heart, before peppering kisses down her sternum, making sure she avoided her breasts, concentrating on the valley of flesh between them. She would give them the attention they deserved shortly.

She could hear a frustrated groan from the girl beneath her, but that only caused her to smile between kisses. She tightened her hold on the red dress once more and pulled the fabric down further as she inched down along with it while not allowing her mouth to leave her lover's soft, addicting body.

Diana covered Serenity's hands and tried to encourage her to speed up undressing her, but despite her efforts her dress still remained stuck at her hips and Serenity's lips still kissed slowly down her stomach. Even though she desperately wished for her mouth to lavish attention elsewhere, she still loved how much attention her Princess gave her. With the urgency she had when she found her, she fully expected Serenity would have had her screaming her name by now. Instead, she was moving at an excruciatingly slow pace. She was sure her Princess was aware of her growing need because she heard a quiet laugh as she tried to maneuver herself into some position that would allow her to at least give her some friction between her legs, but it was useless. She couldn't even wrap her legs around her lover because she lower half was still restricted by her dress.

Serenity finally reached her lover's navel, in her slow decent down her body. She swirled her tongue around the other girl's belly button, causing her to shift a little beneath her. Though Diana denied it consistently, she knew her warrior was ticklish. She loved that she was the one to discover each and every one of those spots that caused her to squirm or giggle, those were especially special. Only she got to see Diana with her defenses down and that was something she planned to always cherish. She liked that word, cherish, because that is exactly what she intended to do, until exhaustion took her, she would lavish unrestrained attention to her love's body.

"Serenity…please don't tease."

The Moon Princess tilted her head up and smiled at the pleading tone in the other girl's voice, it seemed she finally grew impatient enough resort to begging. "Since you asked so politely, it would be cruel of me to deny you." Serenity crawled down the remainder of Diana's body until she could feel she'd reached the edge of her bed, so she maneuvered herself down the remaining distance until her feet touched the floor. She smiled and leaned forward and touched the outside of Diana's calves lightly. She looked up and observed her half exposed lover, admiring how stunning she truly was. She had no doubt in her mind that she would never meet another more exquisite.

"Serenity…"

Apparently she was still taking too long, "Patience love, patience." She said with a smile, but even as she spoke of patience, her fingers slowly danced up the outside of her legs. She made sure not to let her fingers wander, lest she touch somewhere she wasn't prepared to pleasure yet. Eventually she came to the top of the dress that she had abandoned a short time ago. She glanced up as she took hold the dress, smiling as their eyes met before tugging at the fabric. Diana lifted her bum without being asked, but it certainly made it easier for her. As the dress slid passed her hips and her bum, she saw that she was wearing underwear as well, she nearly groaned, but suppressed any noise of dissatisfaction. This tryst was rather abrupt, so she could overlook the unnecessary article of clothing, though it was just another hindrance.

Diana noticed the pause and tracked her eyes to see what caused her to stop. It only took her a moment to realize what stilled Serenity. She'd known for a while that there was no need to wear more than a dress when she entered her Princess' chambers, this wasn't how they normally ended up in bed together though. Still she felt the need to apologize, "I didn't think I would be in your bed tonight, not after…" Her voice trailing off at the end.

Serenity looked up and shook her head, "Do not think of that, love. I'm sorry for making you think of what is to come." She let her hands gently massage the small expanse of exposed skin of her upper thighs, all the while holding her intense gaze with her lover, "I want your mind on the present. I will take your mind off of all that, I promise." She said and took hold of her dress once more, "Let's get this off then, shall we?"

Serenity slowly pulled the dress down her legs, until it slipped passed her feet, though Diana did help as well, as she pulled her knees up to let the dress fall faster. With only the dress in her hands, she folded it once and bent over to place it on the ground at the foot of her bed. When she stood fully again, she look down at Diana waiting for her, still ever so patiently. A smile spread across her lips as she was tempted to join her again, but couldn't quite yet, "I'm a little overdressed, wouldn't you say love?"

Diana propped herself up slightly, on her elbows, and smiled, "I'll take you any way you are going to give, but since you asked I think you should probably lose the dress and anything underneath it."

"It is only fair." She said softly and reached behind her back, slowly pulling down the zipper of her dress, all the while holding eye contact with Diana. She held her dress to her chest for a moment before shrugging her shoulders free and slipping her unoccupied arm out of it, then switching positions of each arm and doing the same with her other arm, freeing it from her dress. She made sure she had Diana's full attention before she let her dress fall to the floor. She wasn't completely nude though because like Diana she didn't expect this to happen tonight, but she enjoyed watching her lover as her eyes raked over her body.

She smirked and reached up to the buns holding her hair in place, "I guess we're about even now." She said and undid each bun, letting her hair cascade fully down her back. "There's really no need for me to keep these on either." She said as her thumbs hooked around the waistband of her underwear, pulling them down in one smooth motion. Once she was standing fully again, she asked, "Much better, wouldn't you agree?"

No matter how many times she'd seen Serenity naked it never stopped her from completely admiring how utterly perfect she was. She had an ethereal beauty, like a legendary Goddess. Though she was positive that Aphrodite herself paled in comparison, she'd seen the girls born with her blessings on Venus after all. "You're perfect."

Serenity smiled as she stood at the end of her bed for a couple more seconds as she took in her lover's body from her position, committing it to memory. "My beautiful fire princess." She whispered adoringly and stepped fully out of her clothes on the floor at her feet. She walked up to the end of the bed and placed her hands on the ankles of her lover, rubbing them softly as she let her eyes travel up her nearly naked body, only her undergarments covered her most private areas, but that would be rectified shortly.

"I love you, Diana and if this truly is our last night we can be together, I'm going to show you how precious you are to me." She said, all the while moving her hands further up her guard's legs. She reached her knees by the time those words left her mouth.

"I love you too, but I swear if I don't feel your tongue or your fingers soon, I'm going to go crazy." She tried to chastise, but her smile betrayed any firmness in her voice.

Serenity smiled in returned and messaged her thighs from just above her knees to her hips a few times before she allowed her hands to stop and rest on her hips. "While I am certain you are exaggerating, I'd rather not take risk." She said and hooked her fingers around the waistband of her undergarments, "I do believe you have been most patient while I teased you in all but the places you most desired. For that..." She leaned down and placed a kiss where her hip bone pointed out on her left side, followed by another on her right. "I think you are deserving of a reward." She said and leaned back a little to look at her lover's face. Even in the dimly lit room, she could how flushed Diana was simply in anticipation, because Serenity knew she hadn't done anything yet but they had barely begun as far as she was concerned.

She turned her attention back to her lover's lower body. Now that she was so close, she could not only see but smell Diana's arousal. Serenity had to bite her lip to prevent herself from taking her without further preamble.

"Serenity..." Diana whined, sounding more desperate.

Serenity smiled as she looked up to meet Diana's gaze, "I'm sorry love, I got distracted." She said before casting her eyes downward again and licked her lips. While claiming her lover would have to wait a little longer, she couldn't resist teasing a little longer, she did promise Diana a reward after all. She knelt on her bed, between her lover's legs and leaned forward, bringing her face closer to Diana's center. She gave one more look at her lover's face, but when it appeared she was going to speak again, Serenity quickly moved forward and she swiped her tongue across the wet spot.

Whatever Diana intended on saying was replaced with a gasp. Serenity had purposely avoided any more sensitive areas and now she was licking her through her…a moan escaped her lips as felt her tongue again. She quickly brought her hand to her mouth in an effort to quiet herself, while the Moon Princess lapped at her a few more times through the fabric.

Though it limited her own pleasure, Diana seemed to enjoying herself, moaning at every swipe of her tongue, but she didn't sound as loud as she did initially. She tilted her head up to see why and frowned when she saw her hand over her mouth. She abandoned her current ministrations and crawled up her lover a little, wrapping a hand around the other girl's forearm, pulling it away her mouth, "I want to hear every sound that passes these lips." She said quickly and kissed her softly for a moment, "I don't care if everyone in the palace hears you, I want you hear you." She knew Diana was used to having to be as quiet as possible, but there was no point to that foolishness tonight. Her mother already knew about them and she made it clear this would be that last night she was allowed to be with the love of her life, so there was no way she wanted her to hold back in any way.

"I'm sorry Serenity, I…"

She didn't get the opportunity to finish as Serenity pressed her lips firmly against her own, but softened the kiss once she was sure that she'd sufficiently silenced any further apology. Her tongue brushed along Diana's lower lip, while she quickly gave her access to her mouth at her silent request. As their tongues met, both girls moaned eagerly at the sensation. All too soon Serenity was pulling back, but Diana tilted her head up and stole a couple more kisses, at least until Serenity put her hand on her cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You were simply doing what we've always done, but tonight is different. I don't want you to hold back anything from me. This night is only about you and me, Diana." She said while caressing her cheek.

Serenity moved back down and again found herself standing at the end of her bed, but this time she was going to strip her of the last piece of clothing she was wearing. She didn't waste any time teasing her this time, she immediately took hold of fabric covering her vulva. She did glance between her legs for a moment to see the once small wet spot was noticeably larger and that made her smile slightly, but she let her eyes drift back to Diana's, lest she get distracted again.

She pulled the material down, all while focusing on her guard's darkened purple eyes so that she didn't focus on the scent of her lover's arousal. She was certain that Diana wouldn't have complained if she went straight to eating her out, but she had avoided her breasts earlier and deserved her attention first. And she did love Diana's breasts after all…well she loved every part of her really, so that may have been stating the obvious. She smiled as she successfully reached her ankles with wandering from the task she was trying to accomplish. She threw the piece of fabric over her shoulder, not really caring what happed to it.

With her lover finally completely naked, she crawled back up, beside her this time, but she didn't waste any time once she was there. She immediately moved to claim her lips once more while one hand worked its way behind her neck, the other held on to her waist, lightly kneading flesh there more as a distraction to keep her hand occupied. She nipped lightly at Diana's lower lip as pulled away from them, electing a soft moan from her. Her lips didn't stay idle for long as she began to pepper kisses along her jaw before inching down a little so she could start kissing her neck.

She kissed down her neck, softly initially, at least until she reached some more sensitive areas, like point toward the base of her neck where she could feel her lover's pulse pounding hard. Diana turned her head to the left, giving Serenity better access as she sucked hard on the skin there, causing Diana to groan deeply. Serenity pulled away to see a red mark already forming, so ran her tongue over it soothingly before placing a light kiss there afterwards. She was certainly this wouldn't be the only mark that she'd leave on Diana, but she would repeat the same process each time.

Her hands roamed up and down her sides, while her lips and tongue played across her collarbone, occasionally mixing in her teeth as well, leaving small red marks in their wake. She loved every gasp and moan she heard, they were truly sounds. Now that she was so close to her chest again, she brought her leg between Diana's and positioned herself slightly atop the other girl to give her better access to her breasts. She may have restrained herself earlier, but now she had every intention of worshiping Diana's breasts now.

Her left hand moved up until she could cup her breast on that side. She gently kneaded her while her mouth finally reached her other breast. She ran her tongue around the areola surrounding her nipple, before taking it fully in her mouth and suckling greedily at her. While she heard Diana moan loudly below her, she wanted to hear her cry out for her and she knew how to make her do just that. She pushed her knee up until she was pressed firmly against her moist core. She wasn't disappointed when she heard her call out her name, but she was surprised how much wetter she moments later as she Diana rubbing herself against her leg. Now that her focus was there, she could feel the slight tremors still pulsing through her center as she rode her thigh to the last remnants of her orgasm. She had teased for too long apparently.

Serenity pulled her mouth away with an audible pop and looked up, "Did you just cum, love?" She asked, though she already knew the answer, she couldn't stop herself. She loved how flush she became, "No need to be embarrassed, Diana." She said with smile, but it seemed to do little to extinguish her flushed cheeks. She pinched the nipple under her left hand, causing her to gasp, "Though I do wish I could have tasted you the first time you came tonight." She said with an overly dramatic sigh. When she saw Diana was going to say something, she pinched her again, "I guess I just need to make you cum again then…"

Her left hand fell from the breast it had been working, while her mouth took over. She swiped her tongue soothingly over this nipple, knowing it might be a little sensitive after she pinched it twice. While her mouth attended to her left breast, her right hand gave similar attention to her right, as did earlier with her left. When she took her nipple into her mouth, she only lightly suckled on it initially; instead she alternated between flicking the erect bud and swirling her tongue around it.

It felt wrong that she hadn't done anything to pleasure her Princess, so Diana moved to corrected. First running her hands over Serenity's back, pulling her down a little more, feeling her pert nipples brush against her stomach. She dug her fingers into her back at the sensation. It was such a simple touch, but it made goosebumps appear with each touch, though that also could have to do with what Serenity was doing with her own breasts. Her hands began to wander to Serenity's front, where she took both of her Princess' breasts in her hands. She had barely even touched them when she felt hands grab her wrists.

"No." Serenity said authoritatively and removed Diana's hands from her breasts and pinned them to her bed above her head. She knew her lover was more than strong enough to stop her if she chose to, but she rarely ever challenged her in the bedroom, "I want you to just lay there and let me do as I please."

A smirk spread across Diana's lips, "You really expect me not to touch you?" She asked skeptically.

Serenity leaned down and captured the lips of the girl beneath her. She pushed her tongue past her lips and began to gently probe the other girl's lips for entrance. As soon as she parted her lips enough for her enter, she quickly deepened their kiss. She massaged her tongue with her own a few seconds, before receiving a satisfying whimper as she pulled away, "I want to show you how much I love you without any distractions and your hands would certainly be distractions." She said and placed another kiss on her lover's lips, though far more chaste this time.

She smiled and began to slow crawled down, rubbing her hands across her chest and abdomen as she descended, keeping her eyes locked with Diana's as she watched her. Diana obediently kept her hands where Serenity left them, though she wasn't sure how much longer that was going to last, but it still made her smile. Perhaps she just knew where her destination was and she was simply waiting with baited breath, it didn't really matter.

As she reached her waist, her hands found her thighs and urged them to open more for her. She smiled slightly at how quick she was to open herself up to her, before finally breaking eye contact to stare at her prize between her lover's legs. As she leveled her eyes on the moist folds of flesh before her, the first thought to pass through her mind was how beautiful and wet she was. Her labia were already so swollen with arousal she was half concerned that Diana would cum at the first touch of her tongue. However, she reasoned that it didn't truly matter because all that meant was that she'd have to build her up again and again and again. She smiled as she thought about how many time she intended to bring her lover to climax.

She wrapped her arms around Diana's thighs and laid fully onto her stomach between her legs, her mouth only inches away from her lover's womanhood. Before closing the distance, she couldn't resist teasing her one more time, so she inhaled deeply before blowing steady at Diana's sex, causing her to noticeably shiver before her. She was pretty sure she heard a whimper with it as well and while she was certain Diana was going to plead with her to continue, she had no plans on stalling any longer. She tilted her head down the short distance and immediately ran her tongue through the folds of skin before, from the bottom to the top.

At the first swipe of her tongue, she knew this was infinitely better than with those infuriating undergarments in the way. It wasn't the time to waste of such thoughts though as she dove back in and lapped hungrily at her lover's entrance. She felt Diana's fingers in her hair, her nails lightly brushing against her scalp, but mostly her hand was there to hold her where she was. Serenity laughed because that wasn't going to be an issue. As she reached the end of the next swipe of her tongue, she dragged it teasing further up, seeking out the small bundle of nerves. Even before she could register her tongue reaching its destination, Diana's hips bucking against her face was indication enough. She held her legs more securely as she ran the flat of her tongue across the sensitive spot, cause her lover to moan in pleasure. She also seemed to have abandoned her hair in favor of clutching the bed-sheets.

Serenity ran the tip of her tongue around her lover's clit, at an almost painfully slow pace, but she knew it would be worth it in a moment as she covered the bud completely with her mouth and quickly began to suckle at it lightly. It wouldn't take long, she knew the small indicators her body conveyed when she was close. She let one hand slid up to her stomach as she sucked a little harder. She could practically feel the muscles under her hand tighten as she rubbed her stomach.

"Serenity! I'm…! I'm…!" Diana screamed between breaths.

She wanted to tell her that she knew, but her mouth was a little busy. With one more lick, she lowered her mouth back down and pushed her tongue passed her labia, momentarily swirling her tongue around her entrance before pushing into her as far as she could manage. She flicked the tip of her tongue up; hoping to hit the spot she knew always pushed her lover over the edge. It only took her a few seconds to find the small rough spot in her otherwise smooth walls. She probed the spot gently with her tongue and like when with her clit, Diana bucked hips at the contact. Her hand that had been on her lover's abdomen made it way down, but when it reached the small patch of dark curls, she stopped, even pulling away from her lover's vagina.

Diana sobbed at the sudden loss of contact, "Serenity, why did you…?"

Her question is initially cut off by a hand covering her mouth, but a moment later the hand is replaced by lips. Diana moaned into her lover's mouth as she tasted herself on her Princess' lips. She really didn't want to feel frustrated with her Princess, but she really thought she was done with teasing her.

"Shh…" Serenity hummed softly, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm being selfish." She knew Diana was close, so close, and she felt a little bad for stopping like she did, but she wanted to have a clear view of her lover. It was initially her plan to make love to Diana with her mouth, but as she worshipped her lover close to her climax, she realized that she wanted to be able to watch every expression and hear every delightful sound as she came undone, unhindered. If this was the last night she could be with her, she wanted to remember these moments forever. The only way that was possible was if she pleasured her with her fingers, "I wouldn't leave you in such a state." She said softly and kissed her lip once more as she let her hand travel down her stomach until reached the small tuft of dark hair at the junction of her legs, just before her sex once more.

She made sure to carefully avoid the small bundle of nerves above her entrance; she didn't want it to push her over too quickly. Instead, she went right to stroking her fingers through and around her lover's dripping labia. She was sure that she was more than wet enough to insert her fingers comfortably, but Diana deserved to be brought back up to the high, she took away from her first. She kept her eyes trained on her lover's amethyst orbs as she lowered mouth to her right breast, immediately taking the nipple in her mouth.

As she began to suck softly on the hardened nipple, she steadily increased how fast her fingers moved, occasionally slipping a finger through her labia, though not quite far enough to actually enter her, but she enjoyed the throaty groan she heard escape Diana's lips each time. She continued like this for several minutes, until she felt her begin to move her hips to try to earn some kind of rhythm with her fingers. It was time to shift her tactics then, she figured as she slowed her fingers enough to earn a whimper, at least until she slid her middle finger inside of her and slowly began to pump it in and out, adding a second finger after a few seconds. With how easily the second digit slid in, she was pretty sure she could add a third if she wished, but she'd never done that before and didn't want to chance that it would be uncomfortable or heavens forbid painful, so she just stuck with two fingers.

She finally reluctantly pulled her mouth away from her lover's breast and watched her, trying to memorize every look of pleasure, the sound of every moan, just everything about her lover, but the only thought that kept running through her mind was how utterly beautiful she looked. She was sweaty and her bangs were sticking somewhat to her forehead, 'But she was beautiful.' She thought as she curled her fingers and brushed them against the same rough spongy point at the ceiling of her entrance, her tongue had only barely teased earlier. She knew she'd get a quick response, so she watched her intently as threw her head back and moaned, delightfully loud.

She felt her grind against her hand in an effort to feel her fingers in same spot. Serenity worked her fingers in rhythm with urgent movement Diana's hips, but mostly avoided the spot she wanted her to touch, only occasionally curling her fingers at the right angle when she wanted to hear her cry out. She could see a silent plea in her eyes each time and while it was tempting to see how long she could keep her teetering on the edge, she didn't want her to pass out from exhaustion when it was still so early in the evening.

She adjusted her hand slightly, without breaking her pace and moved her thumb against the top of her entrance, blindly seeking out the small pearl there. Once she reached it, she circled her thumb around her clit. It was the barest of touches, but it still caused Diana to cry out with a loud curse. She could feel the flutter of her walls against her fingers, making her grin as she asked, "Do you want a release my love?"

Whether it was because she couldn't talk at that moment, Serenity was unsure, but Diana only produced a nod at her question. She smiled purposefully and leaned down before proceeding to kiss along her jawline, up toward her ear. When she reached it, she ran her tongue along the outside edge until she reached the lower part of her earlobe and took it in her teeth, nipping at it slightly while she tugged at it, making Diana gasp audibly at the sensation. As she released her ear, she heard a whimper escape her lover's lips followed her begging, "Serenity…please…"

"I love that you are still so polite even after I teased you for so long." She whispered breathily near her ear, before kissing down to her neck. She sucked roughly at the base of her neck, making the dark haired girl yelp at the sudden bit of pain, distracting her from the ache in her loins, but only until she felt her Princess' fingers rub against that rough point on roof near her entrance. Diana cried out and pushed herself against Serenity's hand, almost expecting her to deny her again, but she didn't this time.

She steadily stroked her a few times, until she felt Diana's warm walls begin to clench against her fingers. 'All she needs is one small push.' She thought and moved her thumb to the small nub again, flicking it lightly before moving her thumb firmly around it. She was rewarded with a loud curse from her lover as her walls now clenched tightly and her legs shook even as she pushed herself off the bed. Serenity smiled when she felt her become noticeably wetter a second later. She watched attentively as Diana panted heavily while she continued to slowly moved her fingers in and out of her lover, easing her through the ruminates of her orgasm, her body spasming a few more times before she completely fell on to the bed, bonelessly. Serenity smiled adoringly at her lover, while Diana looked to be having a difficult time keeping her eyes open. Maybe she had already worked her to the point of exhaustion…

"You are…amazing…" Diana said even as she was still trying to normalize her breathing as Serenity leaned down and captured her lips in several soft kisses, moving from her lips to her cheek and back again. She finally began to slowly ease her fingers out of her after kissing her one more time. Diana whimpered weakly at the feeling of loss. Serenity moved to sit up slightly as she brought her hand to her mouth and proceeded to slowly lick her fingers clean. She took particular care with the two fingers that were just inside her, sucking on each digit greedily.

Diana gazed at her with lidded eyes, but she would swear to every deity that Serenity had never looked as sexy as she did at that moment, licking her fingers clean. She didn't usually bring her to climax with her fingers, preferring to use her mouth most of the time, but seeing her right now, she wished that she had. She heard Serenity moan as she finished sucking on her second finger. 'Heavens help me.' She thought almost desperately as she felt her wet again, simply from the pleasurable sounds she was making.

Serenity got down on her hands and knees and proceeded to kiss a path up her stomach, passed her chest and up her neck, before stopping just above her lips. She stared into her lover's eyes, "You taste amazing, my fiery Princess." She whispered softly and closed the small distance between them. She dipped her tongue into Diana's mouth and slowly exploring until Diana's tongue met hers. They quickly found a rhythm and move in tandem with one another.

Diana could still faintly taste herself on Serenity's tongue causing her to moan in the back of her throat and reach her hands up, grabbing her back firmly for a moment before she ran her fingers up and down, occasionally adding her nails. Serenity pressed herself closer at the sensation, eventually breaking the contact between their lips. In the back of her mind she may have missed her Princess' lips pressed against hers, but all she really cared about at that moment was that Serenity was finally allowing her to touch her. Her hands had been far too idle, when all she wanted was to touch every inch that she was denied earlier.

She wrapped her arms around her Princess with the intention of flipping their positions, but she heard Serenity whisper for her to wait. She loosened her hold, which allowed her Princess shift her position and lay beside her, wrapping her arms around her midsection and hooking one leg around her legs, not allowing her to move. "I'd like to just hold you for a little while."

Diana would have been frustrated under different circumstances, but this was her Princess and she would do whatever she wished of her. So she nodded, though she realized she didn't say anything about keeping her hands to herself while they cuddled. She let her fingers trail down the length of her lover until she felt where her lover's hip bone stuck out. She held her hand there and drew feather light circles on the porcelain skin with her nails. She tried to focus on anything but what was to come, it was virtually impossible. With her mind only having its own thoughts to keep it company, she could feel her eyes begin to sting angrily. Still, she wasn't going to stop touching Serenity to wipe her eyes. "I don't think…I can let you g-go…" Diana whispered brokenly.

Serenity reached her hands up to her lover's face and cupped her cheeks. She stroked the wetness away with the pads of her thumbs and smiled as she spoke, "My heart will always belong to you, Diana"

"I don't want anyone else to touch you…" The dark haired girl whispered.

Serenity closed her eyes for a moment, before taking Diana's hand that was still on her hip into her own and squeezing it. In one quick motion, she straddled her dark haired lover and pinned her hand above her head. She looked in to amethyst eyes as she leaned down and kissed her lips hungrily. She parted her lips slightly and ran her tongue over her lover's lips, pleading for access. Diana was never one to deny her Princess anything she wanted, so she quickly allowed her to deepen their kiss. She couldn't hold back a moan as her Princess explored her mouth.

After a few moments, she pulled back and cupped Diana's cheeks, "You are my soul's other half and I swear to you that my love for you will never wan. I would sooner remain celibate for the rest of my life than allow anyone else to be with me." She said and once more leaned down and captured her lover's lips. When she pulled back, she could see wetness on Diana's cheeks, so she gently wiped it away again, but continued to stroke her cheeks lightly for a moment longer. "Now…I intend to make love to you…" She paused as she leaned down again and kissed her lover's lips. She pulled back slightly and added, "…Over…" She lowered herself and kissed the other girl's pulse point on her neck, before pulling back "…Over…" She said and traveled even lower, until her mouth was hovering over Diana's left breast. She leaned down again and planted a light kiss just above her nipple. She once again pulled back and whispered, "…Over…" She then moved over to her right breast and did same as she placed a feather light kiss just above her nipple. Serenity then moved herself up to her lover's face again, "…And over again, until my mother sends in the royal guards to pull my mouth away from your womanhood."

Diana blushed hotly and reached up to Serenity's face and cupped her cheek gently. She caressed her Princess's soft skin with her thumb, "I do believe that I will be unable to walk for a week if you follow through with that my Princess. But you've already pleasured me, I want to return the favor."

"And I will, but it appears that I haven't been able to quite take your mind off what will happen after today. I will make sure this night never leaves your memory." Serenity said and kissed her lips once more, before slowly inching her way downward. The Princess' eyes never left her guard as she kissed and licked and sucked a path to the junction of her love's legs. "You are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on and I love you beyond anything I thought possible." She said and kissed the inner thigh of her right leg and then her left, "And I am going to put every ounce of that love into every second we have left together, my fiery Princess." She said and smiled briefly before lowering herself down once more, this time bringing her mouth even with her lover's sex.

"I love you Diana." Serenity whispered once more before lowering her mouth the remaining distance to her goal.

~end flashback~

Rei took a deep breath as she finished telling Usagi about the final night they were allowed to be together, but she froze when she felt the blonde shaking in her arms, followed by a quiet sob. She held her tightly against her chest, "Please don't cry, Usa." She pleaded and kissed the top of her head, "Please, I don't want you to be upset. This is all in the past." She said into Usagi's hair.

"I broke every single one of those promises to you!" Usagi cried, tilting her head up to look at Rei, forcing her to move her head back from where it sat atop her head.

Loosening one arm from around her girlfriend, Rei reached up and wiped away her tears. She hated to see her Princess cry, so much. 'Perhaps she should have left her promises made that night out…' She thought, but quickly shook her head of the thought, 'I promised to be honest and I will be, even if it hurts.' She stroked her cheek softly, "Those promises were made not knowing that the Silver Millennium would fall, so please don't let them upset you."

"What about Endymion? You can't tell me that didn't hurt you." Usagi said quickly, even as she said it though she wasn't entirely sure how much of that love was as true as it seemed.

Rei sighed softly, 'Of course she would bring him up…' She did her best to quell her thoughts that she felt back then, but she knew discussing this would make that hard for her, "You're right it hurt. I didn't cope very well being separated from you. You were my everything and when I lost you…I had some dark thoughts."

Usagi tightly gripped Rei's shirt, she felt extremely uneasy about what she meant there, but she still wanted to know, "Will you telling me about it?"

Rei leaned forward and softly kissed her girlfriend, pulling back after only a moment, but smiling as she said, "Of course I will. I'll tell you anything you wish to know." She said and paused for moment. "I just want you to know that everything I tell you was my choice and I don't want you to feel bad about things you don't even remember. We might be Serenity and Diana, but we aren't the same, not exactly at least. I have you in every way I could have ever hoped for in this life, but this is still a part my past so it's important that you know it as well. It's also why I believe that Minako may open up to me." Rei held Usagi a little tighter. Even Serenity didn't know all of these details that she was going to discuss now. She took a deep breath and felt Usagi's lips on her cheek before she continued. She was thankful that she offered a silent comfort rather than actually saying anything in this moment. It seemed that she was more in tune with what she wanted even she realized.

"Venus was there for me in the darkest times. I wanted more than anything confide in you, even if I couldn't be with you, because you were my best friend too, but I was being watched, all the time. Since I was not allowed to be alone with you…" She paused as she let her mind travel to that time in her life. She knew it was mistake, it would only make her angry and that wasn't an emotion she needed to be feeling at the moment, but it was too late, "As though I would defile you as soon as someone wasn't looking. Like my affections for you weren't returned. Like I was some…" She spat, at least until she felt Usagi's hand on her chin, which even if that didn't silence her, the lips pressed against her certainly did.

'Kami-sama…did Usagi's lips perform magic…' She thought as she melted under her girlfriend's affections. If all she had the rest of her life was Usagi's lips, no food, no water, she was sure she could manage to survive off them alone. So, when she pulled back, she missed the contact immediately. She licked her lips, but anything to replace Usagi's lips. She realized that her Princess was staring at her, likely waiting for her to continue, but she felt like she needed to address her outburst first, "I'm sorry…it's just still unpleasant to recall."

"You don't need to apologize. I love you and there is nothing that can force us apart in this lifetime or the next or any after that for that matter." She said and kissed her again firmly. She pulled back and cupped her face with both hands, "Knowing everything you've told me and even what I've learned in this life, not to mention that we, you and I, have a daughter together in the future, I know that we will always be together. I'm not just talking about our connection because you're Sailor Mars and I'm the Princess of the Moon, our bond is much stronger than that. You feel it too, right?"

Rei nodded, "I do." She said softly. It wasn't something she was entirely sure was mutual or if it was simply because of her abilities but clearly it was shared. It seemed she wasn't paying close enough attention; it was such a ridiculous thought, not paying close attention to Usagi. With that thought in mind, just a few minutes ago she realized how Usagi seemed to know that words of comfort were not what she needed, she needed a physical comfort.

"When you were taken from me, I had a dream about my mother. She told me about how we are all bonded together, but there's a special bond shared between soulmates. That's what we are. I've never been surer of anything in my life. Everything she told about soulmates is true of us, but more than that I know how I feel when I'm with and how I feel when I'm not." She said and moved forward before once more kissing her softly, resting her head on shoulder afterwards, "I'm not whole without you, Rei." She whispered, turning her head kissing her collarbone.

Rei held her a little tighter, tracing indistinct patterns with her nails after a couple seconds. She didn't need some red string of fate to know that she would love Usagi forever, until the end of time. It was something she already knew, but she was fine with Usagi giving it a name. She didn't know she felt about soulmates or fate, because she could recall not that long ago that was Usagi and Mamoru, but if it made Usagi happy that was really all that mattered in her eyes. As much as she would have liked nothing more than to cuddle with Usagi until she needed to walk her home, she=9 needed to finish, she promised. Hopefully it would explain why she felt like Minako might speak with her. She kissed Usagi forehead before speaking, "There's still a little more you need to know and it might help explain why I think Minako will speak to me."

Usagi nodded, but she kept herself wrapped securely around Rei's body. She could feel her girlfriend take in a deep breath before continuing.

"Venus…Minako wasn't just a friend after we were separated. She was a lover as well…."

End Ch.15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try not to make this too long…
> 
> The rest of this flashback will be the next chapter. Expect the next chapter to have a heavy dose of Minako. She's been wallowing in her own loneliness for too long…
> 
> So on with what took up the majority of this chapter! Who would have thought the first love scene would actually take place in the past, in a flashback? It's kind of new to me, writing sex scenes that is. I mean any amateur can write smut, but it is usually so bad and crude…ugh…so nasty most of the time. I would never write a sex scene if I felt I could only use the vile language I've seen used. If you are writing a sex scene about two characters that supposedly love each other, you (the author) should put love into that scene as well and not use disgustingly derogatory terms to refer to a woman's vagina. But I'll shut up about that because just writing about it now is annoying me and I'm sure no one wants me to rant about this. Be honest if you think it sucked, okay :)
> 
> So, I hope did the scene some justice. I've always told myself that if I'm going to write a love scene, I'm going write a love scene. I have no desire to write smut and perhaps some may think what I wrote is smut, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I remember being asked to write a sex scene back in 'Her Battle', but it really didn't work for the story I wrote back then. It was honestly always my intention to write a sex scene in this story, but it didn't happen how I expected. This flashback, when I figured it into the story, originally didn't have that scene, it just kind of happened LOL. So anyway, please let me know your thoughts on its quality, everyone. My intention is to write another one, in present time though, so if I suck horribly at them I'd like know. Though if a complaint is that I took forever to get them naked, that won't be the case next time :D
> 
> Before I end this overly long AN, I just wanted to address something that's come up many times. I've gotten quite a number of inquiries about who Minako will ultimately end up with. I'm glad so many are you invested in her future and while I can't say who she will be paired with, I will say that I do know who she will be paired with and it will be revealed before this story finishes. Also don't expect the next chapter to come out in two weeks like this one. This chapter was more of an aberration. Lastly, hopefully there weren't many errors, I went over it, but this was a massive chapter.


	16. Past Scars

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 16 – Past Scars  
~~~~******~~~~

"Venus…Minako wasn't just a friend after we were separated. She was a lover as well…."

Rei immediately felt Usagi's body go from relaxed to tense at her admission. She stopped moving her hand as she asked, "Are you okay, Usa?" She felt her response a moment later, as she pressed herself a little closer and turned her head so that her face buried into her shoulder. She began to run her hand up and down her back as she spoke again, "I'm sorry if it feels as though this came out of nowhere." She kissed the top of her head briefly before continuing, "It's complicated, but I want to tell how this happened if you are still okay with hearing this?" She asked and silently waited for her response.

There was a part of her that wanted to be upset, but that only made her annoyed with herself. She had no right to be upset. This was the past, more than a lifetime ago truly, and she hadn't exactly remained single either. She couldn't help that she had questions though, the first of which was out of her mouth before she could even think about any ramifications, "Did…did you love her?" She asked looked up at her girlfriend.

Rei sighed softly. She sort of expected to hear that question, though she didn't necessarily think that would be the first question she posed, but this was Usagi so she probably should have. She looked down and met her girlfriend's eyes, "Yes." She said quietly, her eyes not leaving Usagi's. She silently searched for any hurt within them, that was something she never wished to make the other girl feel. No matter how much she was hurting, she never slept with Minako to hurt Serenity. While her last admission might not have hurt, like she was afraid of, this comparison might, "It was not unlike you and Endymion."

Usagi flinched a little at the mention of the Prince of Earth, though she wasn't foolish enough to think that their relationship didn't have something to do with Rei and Minako. She still had trouble understanding how Endymion and her even began. She certainly wasn't going to press her about  _that_ , that would have been cruel because whatever the reasons may have been she hurt Rei by being with him and she was mad at herself for that.

Rei didn't like how quiet she was being and the fact that she felt as though she was getting angry. She couldn't help thinking that it was because of what she said because if she said they were similar to her and Endymion, maybe she thought that meant in this life as well… She brought a hand up to the back of her Usagi's neck and messaged her there softly before attempted to reassure her, "I never had the desire to be with her in this lifetime, I swear. There was no carryover for me. She's only ever been…" She was silenced by Usagi's hand covering her mouth, prompting her to look at the blonde curiously.

She shifted her hand from her mouth to her cheek as she began, "You misunderstand, love. I'm not questioning you or mad at you. I'm mad at myself…" Her eyes looked away as she finished though, still not conveying what she was feeling fully. She took a moment before meeting Rei's eyes once more, "I'm just having trouble understanding what I was thinking…"

Rei covered the hand on her cheek, "I cannot say with any certainty. I wasn't allowed to be alone with you, we could not confide in each other, but I am sure you hurt as much as I did. I'm also sure you didn't become involved with him to hurt me, just like I wasn't with Minako to hurt you." She squeezed her hand lightly and pulled it away from cheek and brought it to her mouth, where she kissed her palm softly. When she moved her hand away, she rubbed the spot she'd kissed lightly with her thumb. "Are you okay with me talking about what happened? Why I feel a debt to Minako."

Usagi nodded her head slightly before resting her head on the dark haired girl's shoulder, "It's an important part of your past, so I want you to tell me."

Rei leaned down and pressed her lips to the top of her girlfriend's head, "Okay…" She paused briefly before adding, "Just…don't forget this all happened a lifetime ago…"

**~flashback~**

Diana slammed her door angrily and stormed into her room. The first thing she encountered was a small table near her bed. She quickly grabbed it and flung it across the room, splintering it into pieces. It was satisfying for a moment, but only that, a moment. That hardly did anything to relieve the feelings bottled up inside. She marched to her armoire across the room and pulled it away from the wall, throwing it the ground with a satisfying crash. She slammed her heel into the chest that sat on the ground, at the end of her bed. When the chest smashed in the wall, its lid snapped open, allowing some of its contents to spill on to the floor.

She breathed heavily and looked around her room, it was a complete mess now, only her bed stood undamaged. She was tempted to set it on fire and destroy that as well. She didn't care anymore; she was just so damn tired of everything. She half wished that she'd forced the Queen to banish her, even thinking that thought though made her eyes well up with unwanted tears. She'd rather be angry than blubbering mess, she hated crying, but her body never seemed to listen to her mind.

She slid to the floor against the edge of her bed and dropped her face into her hands. It was futile to stop them, but each shuttered breath made her angry at how pathetic she'd become. She'd seen her with him again. It made her sick and there wasn't anything she could do, except watch and she was becoming surer that their relationship was going to kill her. She was a warrior and this was no way for a warrior to act. She wiped her eyes angrily; there was only one thing she was ever truly good at, fighting. She needed to get off the Moon and find enemies worthy of her, 'Serenity…no the Princess doesn't need me any longer. My skills would be better served elsewhere.' She thought and lowered her eyes, trying to determine which option would be more bearable, when her eyes caught the shine of metal on the ground.

She focused on it as she wiped her eyes, but gasped and quickly went to retrieve the weapon. This was probably the only thing from her home world that she actually cherished. She looked around for a moment, spotting its sheath near the chest, 'It must have fallen out… I don't even remember putting it in there.' She thought and walked back to her bed, placing the dagger's sheath down as she held the blade up. It had been years since she regularly carried the weapon around. She'd never forget the night she stopped that woman with it.

She lowered her arm to eye level and inspected the blade's sharpness. It hadn't dulled in the slightest even though she hadn't tended to it in longer than she cared to remember. She brought her free hand up and touched the tip of the blade with her forefinger. Even as she did it, she knew it was stupid, but she didn't realize how stupid until she heard her door open suddenly. The noise startled her and she lost her grip on the handle, allowing it to slip out of her hand, but not before cutting her palm on its way down. She cursed loudly and closed hand in an effort to stem the blood she could feel running down her arm. It seemed that made the intruder quicken their pace as she heard the fast clicking of heels.

Diana looked up when she heard the clicking stop. She nearly scoffed at the girl standing in front of her. Of course it wouldn't be the blonde she wanted to see. She winced at how much her hand stung, then again maybe it was good this wasn't Serenity, but she wasn't in the mood for company, "What are you doing here?"

The blonde looked at the mess around the room until her eyes fell to the other girl's bloody hand, dripping on to the floor. She frowned as she spoke, "I think a better question is, what are you doing?!" As she began to look around again until she spotted her armoire lying on the ground. She was already walking over to it when Diana spoke again.

"Get out of my room." She said dangerously and glared at the other girl as she stood the heavy piece of furniture back upright, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm absolutely not leaving." Venus said calmly, not even facing her as spoke. She began to riffle through the drawers, "And I'm trying to find something to soak up all that blood that's flowing out of your hand before you do something else stupid like pass out."

It was more out of spite than anything that she relaxed her hand and didn't make any effort to stop the bleeding any longer, "I don't care."

The blonde turned around and glared at what was now the back of the other girl's head as she was no longer looking at her, "Stop that, right now." She grabbed whatever was closest to her hand at that moment and strode back over to the dark haired girl until she was in front of her. She knelt down and reached for her injured hand, but she moved it out of her reach, "Stop trying to be self-destructive and let me help you."

Diana glared at her, "Well I don't want you here and I don't want your help!"

"Frankly, I don't give a damn what you want." She said quickly and snatched her wrist before she could move any further away. She pressed the cloth firmly into her hand, causing the brunette to hiss in pain. She looked up and saw her face grimacing, so she lightened the pressure she was applying slightly. The action seemed to offer the other girl some relief immediately, she may have been upset with her, but she wasn't trying to purposely hurt her. That certainly didn't mean she wasn't going stop reprimanding her stupid friend, "What were you thinking?" She asked as she looked down at the hand she was tending to. She pulled the cloth away a little to see if it was still bleeding, 'Yep, still bleeding.' She silently acknowledged to herself and reapplied firm pressure to it.

She realized that Diana had yet to answer her question, though at least she wasn't yelling at her to leave for the time being. She knew how much she was suffering, but she refused to let her do something stupid to herself, "I came to check on you because I was worried and clearly I had reason to be."

Diana scoffed at the other girl's words, "I don't need you to worry about me."

"Clearly I do." Minako countered quickly, but sighed a moment later. She wasn't going open up to her unless she told her why she was worried, "I know how much you are hurting and I know  _why_  you are hurting." She said quietly and pulled the cloth back once more. The bleeding looked to have thankfully stopped, which she was glad for because she didn't want to force her to go to the infirmary. It was already showing the initial signs of healing, but it would probably scar though.

"I don't know what you  _think_  you know, but…" She wasn't able to finish though, as she was cut off.

"Don't even try to deny it, I  _know_. I see how you look at the Princess, how you've always looked at her and even if I didn't see anything,  _love_  is my element." She said and pulled the now blood soaked away completely. She looked up and met her eyes, "And I know how much you are hurting now because you are no longer with her."

Diana pulled her hand away from the blonde and quickly stood, attempted to put some distance between them, "I don't want to talk with about any of this, so just leave me alone."

"So you'd rather wallow in your own misery every time you see her with him!"

That got a reaction from the Martian, as she marched back to the other girl and slapped her friend as hard she could and glared at her, "Shut up! You say that you know how I feel, then how dare you think I want to hear you mention him!"

Minako kept her face turned away from her fiery friend and touched her cheek gingerly. After a moment, she looked at the brunette with wet eyes, "Of course I know how you are feeling! Your love is overpowering, it reverberates from your soul. Your pain right now is just as excruciating in the other spectrum. So don't tell me I don't know how you feel, because I do!"

"If you truly do understand, then why are you even talking to me about this? Do you not think I'm hurting enough?" Diana asked brokenly. She really wanted to feel anger as she spoke, but all she felt was anguish that she saw no end to.

"And the Princess is hurting just as much, if not more so because she knows how you are right now. Are you really fine with making this worse for her?"

Diana froze for a moment at the mention of her Princess and how much she was suffering as well. She knew, she wasn't blind to how Serenity was feeling, but that also meant she wasn't unaware of the Prince as well, "And Endymion?" She hated even saying his name, but she hated even more that he was allowed to openly court Serenity.

Minako sighed audibly, "Because it's expected of her, the Queen expects it of her. You know if she could freely choose it would be you. We already talked about all of this. Did you think I'd be here without her blessing?"

She scoffed at other girl's query, "So what, you and her decided what was best for me? Serenity should know me better than to think I'd want your pity! My feelings haven't dwindled, but I guess I misjudged hers." Her last words were said in anger, but she could deal with that. Anger was far easier for her to handle than sadness, even if she hated herself for what she was saying.

"It wasn't like that!" She said quickly and advanced on the Martian girl, "She still loves you just as strongly as she ever has and _that's_  why she told me that I could help you."

Diana narrowed her eyes at the other girl, "What can you…?" Her words were cut off when Minako grabbed the collar of dress and pulled her close, crashing their lips together. Diana was too surprised to even react even when she felt the other girl's lips move against hers, while fingers threaded through her hair, holding the back of her head. Her mind may have been slow to react, but her body was a different story, it wanted to respond. When she felt the blonde's tongue swipe across her lips, her eyes fluttered close as her lips parted, which Minako took as an invitation to deepen the kiss. The blonde fisted her hair tightly as she explored her mouth, making Diana groan and add her own tongue in a battle of dominance between the two girls. The prevailing thought running through her mind was that Minako really knew how to kiss, but this felt so different than kissing Serenity… 'Serenity…' The thought of the Princess was enough to shake her from whatever spell she was under. Diana reached up and put her hands on the blonde's chest and pushed her away, "Why did you do that?!"

The blonde laughed at her question, before posing her own, "Why do you think? I know you're not  _that_  naïve."

Diana shook her head, "You can't…" She was cut off before she could say anymore though.

"So you get to tell me how I feel then?" She asked, but when it looked like Diana was going to say something, she continued, "I'm not deluding myself here. I know you'll never love me like you love her, but you can't be with her. So I'm giving you a choice. You can either be alone and in pain at least until you completely self-destruct or you don't need to be alone."

Diana observed the other girl for several seconds, but she still couldn't get a read on her, so she just asked, "What's in it for you?"

She threw her hands up in exasperation, "Oh my…are you really that thick? I care about you! I'm not lying when I say that!" She shook her head and turned to leave, but before she could even take a step, a hand grabbed her arm and spun her back around. She was going ask what she wanted, but the words never came out as she found the other girl's lips pressed roughly against hers.

She moved them towards her bed without breaking apart. Even as she kissed her, Diana was unsure if anything about this was healthy, but she did know that she'd probably end up destroying herself if she chose to be alone. She just couldn't handle it, not after having Serenity, 'Maybe if…no, I wouldn't ever want to take back any of my time with Serenity.' She quickly thought as she reached the end of her bed. She finally pulled away and grabbed hold of the soft yellow dress, swiftly pulling it over the other girl's head. She took in her state of undress, of course it wasn't a surprise to see she wasn't wearing anything underneath her dress, 'Stupid girls from Venus did tend to wear virtually nothing, but then Minako wasn't just a stupid girl from Venus, she was also a warrior, a damn strong one at that too.' She told herself, when her eyes came to rest on her face, she saw the smirk the blonde was wearing.

"So is this a test or something? Because I promise that I'll pass."

Diana was already dropping her own dress as she said, "Shut up." She moved forward and picked the slightly shorter girl up, while she immediately wrapped her legs around her waist, causing her to improvise and bring them both down on to her bed.

**~end flashback~**

"I told her to sleep with you?" Usagi asked as soon as Rei was finished. Her voice held an appalled tone at her own question.

It sounded worse than it was coming from Usagi's lips, almost as though she forced her to have sex. She needed to clear those thoughts from head, "I wouldn't say  _told_  her to do anything, more like you encouraged her to act on her own feelings and in doing that she could be for me what you couldn't be. Still…" She trailed off and released a heavy sigh, "I used her, Usa. She let me, but that doesn't excuse how I must have made her feel. I should have been stronger than was, but losing you…I couldn't think rationally." She stroked her fingers through her girlfriend's blonde locks. Even with Usagi in her arms it wasn't easy to talk about how she felt at that time. She could feel her nod her head before lowering her head slightly and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

She'd already lightly glossed over what life on Mars was like, but she felt the need to her situation back then a little better, "My parents weren't like your mother." As much as she was conflicted with her feelings about the Queen, she knew the unconditional love she had for her daughter. She sighed before continuing, "I didn't know love, true unconditional love until you. Strength is what my parents acknowledged, but more than that, you needed to prove yourself to be strong through combat and trials of strength. I was trained from the time I could walk and hold a knife." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could feel Usagi shift against her and when she opened her eyes once more she found herself staring into her girlfriend's cerulean orbs, "You showed me so much that I didn't even realize I needed, so losing you…"

Usagi moved forward and capture the raven haired girl's lips before she could finish where that thought was going. Her hand moved up to cup Rei's cheek as she pulled back, "I don't want you reliving that pain." She paused and stroked her cheek softly, "I'm grateful that you shared all of this with me and now having heard everything you've been through, more than anything I want you to..." She paused and brought their lips together for a quick kiss before continuing, "Focus." Again she paused to kiss her girlfriend, "On." Once more she stopped after only one word to place a short but soft kiss, "Now." She said and pulled back long enough to string together a full sentence, "Because what we have now is forever. We can't change the past, but I can promise that I'm not going to leave you." She swore and again moved forward, pressing her lips firmly against her girlfriend's. She tugged at her lower lip with her teeth, making Rei moan softly, giving her more access to her mouth as she slipped her past her parted lips. While exploring her mouth, Usagi's hand slowly moved down from her face, to her neck before descending, her nails lightly grazing the exposed skin above the collar of her shirt, but before she could go any further the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat could be heard.

"Ahem"

Both girls pulled away from the other and looked around, thinking that perhaps Rei's grandfather had enter the miko's room, but that didn't really make sense because he'd never enter her room without knocking. Then they spotted a white cat on the floor a short distance from them. He wasn't really looking at either of them, rather he was looking at the floor between them. Rei could feel cheek warm as she recalled everything she'd just talked about, 'I'm sure he heard way more than he bargained for when he came here.'

"Sorry Artemis, I guess we kind of forgot you were here." Usagi said sheepishly. She was sure if cats could blush, he would be doing that right now.

The white cat cleared his throat again before speaking, "I gathered that, yes." He paused for second before getting back to his reason for being there, "You'll help me with Minako then?"

"Of course we will. Minako is an important friend and we'll help her however we can. I think that first requires talking to her." She said and looked from the cat to Usagi. She rubbed her back lightly as the blonde nodded.

"I want to go with you." Usagi said softly after a moment. "You can most of the talking, I promise. I just want to be there for support and let her know that she is cared for."

"You know I'd love you to be there as well, but you don't need to be silent either. I'm sure she'll need to hear from both of us and now you know what happened during our past lives, so it's like you could be surprised. I'd much rather you heard all of this from me." She said and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss before turning to Artemis once more, "Is she at home now?"

He nodded, "She should be." He answered.

Rei nodded, "Why don't we go see her now then?" She asked as she turned back to Usagi.

Usagi smiled, "Yes, I think that would be good." She said and began to get up while Rei joined her a moment later.

The miko looked to Artemis once more and said, "I just need to tell Jii-chan that we are going to see one of our friends and then we'll meet you at Minako's place."

The white cat nodded, "Alright, thank you, both of you." He said and turned to leave, pushing the door open with his paw just wide enough for him to slip out.

As soon as he was gone, Usagi spoke, she was still curious about one thing, "I know you don't have feelings for her, but you didn't say if she still has feelings for you…"

Rei reached her hands out and took both of her Princess' in her own, turning her slightly so they stood directly in front of each other, "She's told me that she does, but it's really nothing more than a ghost of myself she is thinking of. I never opened myself to her fully. I couldn't…" She paused and looked at their joined hands before taking a deep breath, "Still I promised you honesty, so you should know that I did kiss her once." She kept her eyes on their hands as she admitted that, but once she said it, she felt like she needed to look at Usagi afterwards though. She frowned when she saw Usagi was looking away from her, towards the floor. She was about to speak again, when her girlfriend spoke before.

"When?" She asked simply, almost curiously.

Rei squeezed her hands softly, drawing her gaze to her face; she wanted to see her reaction to her answer. "When you told me to speak to all the girls after you brought me back, that's when."

Usagi nodded slowly, "I see." She said quietly. "It was after everything…"

"After we confessed our feelings, but not after we officially started our relationship." Rei said quickly, not wanting her to think she'd ever do that after they got together. "The only reason it happened then was because that was when I knew everything and felt like I owed her something. A good bye or a little closure, I suppose." Rei said with a sigh. "I was never what I should have been for her in our previous lives, so I want her to be with someone that is a  _real_  partner with her, someone that can give themselves to her physically and emotionally. I was only able to give her one of those and that is far less than she deserved. She deserves to be happy."

"I want that for her too, Rei. I don't believe that we've been given this chance only for her alone, without anyone." Usagi said with conviction.

Rei smiled and brought her girlfriend's left hand to her lips and kissed it softly before doing the same with her right, "I don't believe that either, Usa." She said while rubbing her thumbs over the tops of the blonde's hands for a couple seconds before asking, "Can you forgive me for kissing her? I know we weren't together at the time, but…"

Usagi let Rei's hands go and quickly brought them to her cheeks, silencing the raven haired girl, "I'm not mad at you, Rei. I know where your heart was and where it is at this moment. I can't be mad at you for one kiss after all the time and affection I devoted to Mamoru…" She paused for a moment, reflecting on her own thoughts but when she saw her silence gave Rei an opportunity to add her own thoughts, so she spoke up first, "I know what you are thinking and while it might not be the  _same_  in your eyes, it is a small thing given the pain I put you through."

That prompted Rei to speak up, though she knew Usagi didn't want to be interrupted, "I didn't say any of this to bring you pain or make you feel guilty. I only wanted to…" Her words were cut off when Usagi moved forward and silenced her with her lips. Her hands went to the blonde's waist and pulled her flush against her body.

Usagi pulled back slightly but drove back in for another quick kiss, before resting her forehead against Rei's, "I _know_. I know that you didn't. Still I can't help feeling how I feel, but what I was going to say a moment ago was that we have the present and forever after that and  _that_  is what is most important to me. Our pasts will always be there, but we have a future to look forward to." She finished with a bright smile that Rei had to return.

"You're right, of course." She said and traced small circle with her fingers where she held her. "I think I just let my memories get in my way of the now, but I know our future is more important than anything in our past." She said and leaned forward, softly kissing her girlfriend until she felt her fingers leave her cheeks and slip behind her head. After a couple seconds the raven haired girl pulled back enough to stare into her girlfriend's eyes, "We really should probably get going though."

Usagi nodded, "Yeah, we should. I don't want Minako to go through this on her own. She needs to know we are here for her." She said and took Rei's hand as they made their way to leave the room.

* * *

They were eating a simply lunch in the dining room, but Chibi-Usa was still mortified by how she woke up earlier that morning, so she was running her fork through the greens on her plate more than anything. It was bad enough that she had fallen asleep in her clothes from yesterday, not to mention made Hotaru do the same, 'Of course I had to make myself look like a…a deviant.' She sighed dejectedly. Apparently she was too loud because now it seemed like all eyes were on her and she could already feel her cheeks burning so she quickly lowered her head and stared at her plate.

"Are you hungry for something else, Chibi-Usa?" Michiru asked kindly.

She actually really looked at the chicken something salad, she couldn't remember it was called earlier, but it had hardly been touched because she was so wrapped up in her thoughts. She looked up quickly, "No, this is fine. I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"A penny for your thoughts?" Haruka asked.

The pink haired girl looked at the woman across the table and frowned as she shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Haruka rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "Sorry it's an idiom. It pretty much means, do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh…no…it's personal." She eventually settled on saying, expecting that would stop any further questions. She did nod, but she could see her look at Hotaru. She only glanced at the girl beside her for her reaction. She noticed her lips upward turn as she shook her head, but it seemed her staring was caught, or maybe she was tipped off, as she locked eyes with the other a moment later. She quickly returned her focus to the plate in front of her, this time making an effort to actually eat. Still, she felt as though even her neck was aflame with embarrassment.

The rest of lunch was mostly quiet as Chibi-Usa kept her focus on the plate with her food. The topics that came up mostly dissolved into idle chatter, she was thankful that she didn't become a topic of conversation again. She went about silently eating, though she could occasionally see Hotaru's eyes on her, but she didn't say anything so she didn't either. Eventually there was nothing left on her plate to focus on. When she looked up, she saw that everyone was already finished, but they'd all patiently waited for her to finish before excusing themselves. She moved to clean up, but Michiru's voice stopped her.

"We'll take care of that. I'm sure both of you can find something to do." The woman with aquamarine hair said softly.

"We did need to rearrange my closet to make space for all the clothes we got yesterday." Hotaru commented.

"Great. Just give a call if you need any help." Haruka said with a smile.

The two girls got up at virtually the same time, though Chibi-Usa moved faster, as she was already standing near the doorway. Hotaru walked over to her and asked, "Ready to get to work then?" The pink haired girl nodded, though she seemed to make an effort to avoid eye contact. She didn't wait for further prompting as she turned and began to make her way back upstairs. Hotaru shook her head slightly before exiting the room as well. She hurriedly caught up with the other girl, even though she really wasn't that much ahead. She decided not to approach her about what was on her mind, at least not outside her room. It wasn't as though she didn't have a good idea about what she was thinking…

~ **earlier that morning** ~

Hotaru yawned as she battled back her own sleepiness, when she heard a string of incoherent words near her ear. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and turned to a mess of pink hair covering her shoulder. A small smile played at her lips as she observed her for a moment, though she couldn't see her face. She was about to wake her when she felt her shift. She'd barely noticed the weight of the other girl's hand on her stomach until she felt it move up and brush the underside of her breasts, which was enough to make her gasp sharply. That seemed to stir the other girl from her sleep, as her head shot up, but her hand seemed to grab on to what was closest to it at the time

Hotaru bit her lip to prevent any embarrassing noises from escaping her mouth, but she couldn't stop her pale skin from betraying her. Chibi-Usa looked at her and was about to speak, when she looked around a little sleepily. When she saw where her hand was, she quickly pulled her hand away from the other girl. She was wide awake now as she scrambled off the bed. She didn't even attempt to look at Hotaru as an apology quickly escaped her lips, "I'm sorry…I didn't…I'm so sorry." She said staring at her feet.

The dark haired girl was out of her bed a moment later and made her way over to the other girl. She stopped in front of her and touched her shoulder lightly, "I kind of startled you awake. It was purely accidently and you have nothing to apologize for." The pink haired girl still seemed hesitant to look up from the spot she was staring at on the ground, so she squeezed her shoulder slightly and added, "Look at me?" She paused and waited for her to do as she asked. It took several more seconds before she could finally see her very red face. She smiled before speaking again, "I'm not mad or upset with you, so you shouldn't be that way towards yourself, okay?"

Chibi-Usa opened her mouth slightly, as though she was going to say something, but quickly closed it and simply nodded her head.

~ **end** ~

When they reached her room, Hotaru opened the door and let the future Princess in first. She watched her make her way into the room and stop by her bed for a moment before sitting down, so she closed the door and took the same path as the other girl. She wasn't going let her continue feeling, whatever it was that she feeling, "Are you still thinking about this morning?" Hotaru asked and sat beside the pink haired girl.

Chibi-Usa rubbed her hands together in her lap as she spoke, "I'm sorry, I feel like violated you."

The dark haired girl sighed quietly, "Let me say this one more time, you don't need to apologize. You can't exactly control what you do when you're asleep." She said, but when the other girl still didn't look convinced she took her hand and squeezed it lightly, "If you woke up and I was touching your breast would think  _I_  was violating you?" She watched her shake her head before questioning, "So why do you feel like you were?"

"Because I…" She paused and looked down at Hotaru's hand covering her own. Dreams were the manifestations of your subconscious, so were her actions during sleep therefore the same. She could probably dismiss her actions if she'd done them before, but she'd never done that to either of her parents and she'd slept in the same bed as them on multiple occasions. Even though it was in a sleepy state, she still touched her without her consent and that was wrong, no matter the other girl said. 'If circumstances were different…' She quickly cut off that train of thought and telling herself, 'That's not how you think about your friends.' Her experiences with friendships were virtually nonexistent. The closest thing she had to friends were the Quartet, but they were different. '…Or Hotaru is different.' Her brain seemed to counter. She really didn't know anymore, she just didn't want Hotaru upset with her, but it wasn't her that was upset, she was upset with herself.

As odd as it might seem, the silence was making it harder to think. Hotaru was patiently waiting and it was rude to make her wait, even if she didn't know how to describe what she was thinking, so she just went with that, "I don't know." She finally said. It was a poor description, a nondescription really; for all the thoughts running through her head, but it felt as though it would worse or more problematic if she admitted that she wouldn't be against the idea of touching her again; as long as they were both awake of course. She sighed quietly, as she thought how woefully inexperienced she was in dealing with these thoughts and feelings. Despite how long she'd lived already, she'd never thought about anyone like she thinking the girl holding her hands. She finally looked at the dark haired girl when she heard her laughing.

"Well that's not a very good reason." Hotaru said lightly before smiling. "You know how poor that reason is, don't you?"

Chibi-Usa nodded her head, "Yes, I'm sorry." She said simply.

Hotaru shook her head, "You apologize too much, even when there's nothing to apologize for." She became silent for a couple seconds following that statement before continuing, "I'm happy that you are worried about my feelings, but I promise that I'm fine and I want you to fine too, okay?" Again the pink haired girl nodded again, "I promise that I'll be honest if there's ever something you do that bothers me, as long as you do the same for me."

"I can do that." The future Princess said softly. This was the give and take of a friendship, 'Friendship is a good thing. I can do this…' She told herself.

"Good." She said and finally let go of Chibi-Usa's hands as she stood up, "We do really have to do something about all these clothes though still…" She thought aloud and looked over the many bags they needed to go through. She turned back to see the pink haired girl still sitting on the bed, "You're helping me, remember?"

A smile spread across her lips as she jumped off the bed to join Hotaru, 'Yeah, I can do this and with a little luck I won't do or say anything embarrassing…at least for the rest of today.'

* * *

Rei and Usagi stood in front of Minako's home. Neither saw Artemis anywhere around, but that probably meant he was inside with the blonde. Rei squeezed her girlfriend's hand, drawing her eyes to her, "You ready?"

The blonde nodded, "Yeah, let's go." She said, smiling afterwards.

So they walked up the stairs to the front door, Rei let go of Usagi's hand and knocked firmly. She stepped back from the door, so that she was even Usagi once more and put her hand on her lower back, out of sight for whom ever opened the door. They waited silently for someone to answer, Rei rubbing her girlfriend's back lightly for a few seconds before the door opened.

"Rei?" Minako asked through the partially opened door, so she opened it fully, finally seeing both girls, "Usagi? What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to see you." Usagi explained with a smile.

"Sorry we didn't call or anything, but would it be alright if we came inside?" Rei asked.

"Umm…sure." She said and moved aside, so that her friends had room to come in. Once they were both inside she asked, "Would you like to come up to my room, then?"

"That sounds good. Lead the way." Rei said and waited for the other girl to get in front of them.

She nodded and walked to her room. This didn't feel like a social visit and she couldn't help feeling like this was related to Artemis being gone all morning, 'It had to be more than a coincidence…' She thought as she reached her room and again held a door open for her friends. Once she stepped inside as well, she closed her door and looked around for moment. She didn't really have a lot of places to sit, her bed, obviously, a single desk chair, and the floor. The floor wasn't really an option in her opinion, so she motioned towards her bed and asked, "Would you like to sit down?"

"Yes, thank you Minako." Usagi said with a slight nod before the two girls walked over to her bed and sat down.

Minako walked over to the chair that was at her desk and sat down before rolling it a little bit away from her desk and spinning it around to look at her two friends, "I'm not physic or anything, but something tells that you didn't just come here to see me." Minako said and looked between the two girls. "So what really brings both of you here?"

"I asked them to come here." Artemis said as he finally showed himself. He sat down in the space between where the two girls were on the bed and Minako. "You won't talk to me, so I asked if they could help."

Before the blonde could deny what the cat was suggesting, Rei spoke up before her, "It's not as though we haven't noticed either. Usagi talked to you a couple days ago and while think you were honest, I don't think you were being entirely forthcoming." She sighed softly, "I thought we promised each other to talk if we needed someone. I was going to remind you of that last night, but you seemed to be in a hurry to leave. You've been shutting me out, Minako and honestly that hurts." She saw that her friend was again going to say something, but she wasn't quite done so she put up her hand, "Let me finish first and then you can say whatever you feeling, as long you don't intend to deny this." She paused for a moment, until the blonde nodded slightly, "You know that anything you could say, I wouldn't judge you. I only want to help you…"

"You can't. Neither of you can help me." Minako cut her off before she could finish that statement. Rei may have asked not to interrupt, but she knew they couldn't help her, even if she appreciated them trying.

"If you don't say anything, of course we can't. We love you and you know how much I owe you, in this life and in our last." She noticed the other girl tense and looked at Usagi briefly, "You don't need to hold anything back, I've already told Usagi about our past."

Minako seemed hesitant to look at the Princess after that statement, "Everything…?"

"Minako, you don't need to…" Rei began, but Usagi spoke over her. She felt like she needed to tell her this in her own words.

"You don't need to worry, I'm not mad or anything. You were there for Rei when I wasn't able to be, I'm grateful." She paused for a moment and reached out, taking hold of both of the other girl's hands, "What I am sad about is that you felt you couldn't confide in me." She said and paused once more, searching the other blonde's watery eyes, "Did you think I would love you any less? Because I can't, you are important to me and most importantly, you are my friend."

Minako opened her mouth, but nothing came out nothing came out expect a strangled breath. She felt the Princess squeeze her hands, making her take a deep breath, "I'm sorry I made you feel like that, but this is more than just our past lives and I just didn't want to burden either of you. This is my burden to bear."

"Not if you are suffering on your own for it." Rei countered.

"You don't understand…I'll never have a love like you two have…" Minako sighed quietly, but still continued quickly so neither girl could try to argue with her, "Before I came to Japan, while I was still fighting crime in England, there was someone there that I thought maybe we could have something together. He was handsome and he always seemed to be around to help me through particularly tough fights. He was my knight." Minako explained with smile, as if she were remembering her past. After just short time though, her smile fell, "That is until I learned who he truly was. He was an agent of the Dark Kingdom. He was to spy on my activities and reported everything I did back to Kunzite. I was so blindly looking for love that he had me so easy fooled." She said and shook her head before asking, "Do you know what he told me before he died?" She waited for both her friends to shake their heads, "He told me that my love was always doomed to fail. My duties would never let me find love."

"I don't believe that Minako. You an unbelievable person and I refuse to believe that you have a loveless future!" Usagi exclaimed vehemently.

Minako shook her head, even as she smiled slightly at her friend's optimism, "But it is true. Whatever I might feel for Rei, it doesn't matter; I would never do anything that would hurt you, Usagi. Your feelings will always take precedent over mine. So he's right, duty, my duty to you, Usagi will always be more important to me than my own feelings."

'So this, what Minako has been going through…' Rei thought to herself, but still it felt as though she was contradicting herself. "Minako…" She waited for the other girl to give her the attention she was asking for, but she didn't so she was more direct, "Look at me." Rei said calmly. It was much easier to read someone if she could look in their eyes, so finally when she looked at her she began again, "You can't let yourself believe in a prophecy from an evil being from the Dark Kingdom!" Rei took a deep breath and moved forward to cover Usagi's hands that were still on Minako's, "Look at where I was just a month ago. I was up against a future we'd already seen, what kind of hope did I have? Yet you kept urging me not to give up, to fight for Usagi, to tell her how I felt, and I did none of those. I was going to let myself suffer in silence and you are doing the same thing now. Why are you letting yourself make the same mistakes that I did?"

"That was different; I knew there was love between both of you! I don't have anyone and history tells me that I won't!"

"Don't even think like that. What did you call me before, a defeatist? That's what you are doing to yourself. I've thought plenty about what've said to me and I can't help thinking that maybe things would have been different if I listened to you. We know things would have been different if I listened to your warning about getting into a fight on my own. The point is, I want you to follow the same advice you gave me. Don't give up on love. I don't know who you'll end up with and I don't know where they are, but you had better fight for a love you deserve. Until then, lean on us! We aren't going anywhere, so if you are mad or sad or stressed out or anything, just talk to us. That's all, talk to us."

Minako looked from one girl to the other, both of them wearing their concern on their face. She could feel the sting of tears threatening to fall, but she did everything to force them back as she said, "I'm supposed to be lead the guard, not rely on you."

"Sometimes being a leader means knowing when to ask for help too." Usagi said softly, while tried to pull her hands away from her friends as she felt tears finally escaping her eyes. Rei and Usagi used the wheels on the chair to their advantage and pulled the blonde and the chair closer to them, where Usagi finally let go of her hands only to get up and pulled the other blonde into a hug; Rei joining the blondes a moment later.

Artemis looked at the three teens before wiping his eyes with his paw. He was almost tempted to change into a man and join them, but that required a lot of energy and he hadn't exactly prepared his body for that. Besides, he was content to let the three girls have this moment. He knew Minako wasn't going to be okay immediately, but he hoped that she would at least let him help in the future.

* * *

~Deep within the Milky Way…a place known as Sagittarius Zero Star~

"So this is the place star seeds are born…" Mars whispered to herself as she looked around. She stood on a small slab of what seemed to be a crystalized earth, but it probably wasn't  _earth_  at least in the sense she knew. There was a white archway a short distance away. This plane still seemed a little too easy to get to, in her opinion. If a being like Chaos were to locate this place again, it would mean all-out war. Though perhaps it was only because Serenity knew its location that she was able to find it so easily, perhaps it wouldn't be so easy for something as evil as Chaos.

"You should not be here."

Mars turned around quickly and observed a woman standing a short distance from her, 'Guardian Cosmos…' It seemed this girl, if she could even call her that, hadn't changed at all because she looked exactly how Serenity described her. From the sheer almost translucent white dress to her long white hair with her crown of crystals that nearly touched the ground and even the staff she carried, with its glowing orb atop it. If she didn't know better, she would have thought she was a child, but this being was millennias old. Though she really shouldn't judge anyone by their appearances, she herself was proof of that. She didn't know how much patience she would be allowed, so she got straight to the point, "I'm here to recover a star seed."

She didn't appear surprised, though that might be because of what this place was more than anything. She did take this moment to slowly approach the intruder of her domain. She stopped just in front of her and looked her up and down for a moment before walking around her, analyzing her the entire time. For her part, Mars simply stood still, not wishing to do something that would provoke her. She was for all intents and purposes trespassing. "You…" She said around time she reached her back, but did say anymore until she stood in front of her again, "You were touched by Chaos."

If Mars were to have guessed beforehand, she didn't think that would have been her observation she would make. She recovered quickly, because something told her that how she handled this would determine if she'd be successful or not, "That taint has long since been removed."

She was silent for a short time, seemly weighing what she said, "Perhaps…" She finally settled on saying but again paused for a couple more seconds before speaking again, "How did you find this place?"

"My wife spoke with you before, when she fought with the being known as Chaos. She told me how to get here." Mars explained.

"That was a very  _very_  long time ago but of course I would remember her. There are very few who can hold their physical forms in this place." She stopped and glanced for the dark haired woman, "It appears you are also one of those that can as well, though you haven't actually set foot in the cauldron itself." She said and motioned to the large black circular abyss that led to a seemly endless rainbow colored tube. It certainly didn't look much like a cauldron, honestly. "You say you came here for a specific star seed…what do you intend to do with it?"

"Serenity will revive her, once I bring her back with me." Mars answered truthfully.

The Guardian Cosmos appeared to be analyzing her again, though perhaps she never stopped, "All stars are reborn when they are needed."

"This one is needed now." This time Mars answered quickly, she wasn't going to allow her to try to convince her that she wasn't needed.

She looked at the Galaxy Cauldron and then back to the Sailor Senshi, "And you intend to enter the cauldron?"

"Yes." Mars said firmly. The Guardian's silver eyes met Mars' own at hearing her intention. She could swear this girl didn't even blink once, but she wasn't going to back down ether. It felt as though this was a battle, not one of fists but of the mind and she had no intention of losing this.

It seemed as though hours passed, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes before the ancient Guardian scoffed quietly and shook her head, "You have a strong will, but I cannot allow you to enter the depths of the cauldron."

"Please! My daughter's life depends on this!" Mars pleaded with the woman as she stepped towards her.

The Guardian Cosmos shook her head again, "You don't understand, the girl from all those years ago, your wife, was different. Even if I were to allow you to try and retrieve the star seed you are looking for, your body will be torn to shreds and all that will remain of you is  _your_  star seed. My only purpose is to protect all star seeds in this galaxy and beyond, that includes yours."

Mars clenched her fists in silent anger, "What do you expect me to do? I cannot go back empty handed!"

"I didn't say that you needed to." The Guardian said evenly, while Mars' expression quickly turned hopeful. "As I said,  _you_  cannot enter the cauldron's depths, but I can. Your passion is admirable and your heart is honest. Though…one may also say you are foolish for coming here, to my domain, as well." She said giving her a stern look before looking away, over the edge of floating land they stood on. The swirling abyss of the Galaxy Cauldron lay just ahead and she stared at it for a short time longer, until she turned around once more, "I don't believe you are foolish though. Audacious would likely be a better word to describe you. I'm sure Serenity warned you of how dangerous this place is and yet you came here alone."

Mars looked down slightly as if she was being admonished and she probably was. This being was as old as the galaxy itself, but her reasons for coming alone were perfectly valid. She focused back on the Guardian of this space, "Under different circumstances, Serenity would have come with me, but she…she needs to remain safe in the Palace. As for the rest of the guard, it's far more important that they be close to Serenity. I promised that I would bring her star seed back with me so that Serenity may revive her."

Guardian Cosmos observed the Sailor Senshi as she spoke and recalled an event not too long ago, when the cauldron came to life. "I see…" She trailed off for moment, but decided there was no need for pretense here. "Time doesn't pass for me as it does for you, so may I ask how far along she is?" The question brought unadulterated shock to Mars' face. "You needn't be surprised. I am the guardian of  _all_ star seeds; I know when an eternal one is conceived. I didn't know who created her, but it seems that I do now. So I ask again, how far along is she?"

"Six weeks." Mars said simply. They hadn't even told anyone yet, so it was a little weird telling this to a stranger. If they had known Small Lady would go missing and their enemy would be at their doorstep, they would have waited for a more stable time, but that wasn't an option anymore. However, she wished to get back to the matter at hand though, "So you understand my urgency. I need to return to her, but only with the star seed I came here for."

For the first time the Guardian appeared to crack a smile, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, "Of course. I would never take back what I've promised. I do not lie." She said and walked to the edge of their floating ground. "I cannot give you a specific time-frame for when I'll return." She said and looked down for a second before looking back over her shoulder to Mars, "I must know whose star seed you seek if I am to bring you the proper one."

"The guardian of space and time, Sailor Pluto." Mars said calmly.

End Ch.16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, did I just reveal two things at the end of this chapter?! That little glimpse I gave into the future a few chapters back, wasn't a one off thing. And just to clear any possible confusion for those unfamiliar with the final volume of the manga, Guardian Cosmos is not Sailor Cosmos, they are two different characters. Did you see what I did there, Jay? :)
> 
> I purposely ended the flashback where, it probably felt a little abrupt, so sorry about that. The prophecy/prediction that Minako is talking about is a call back to the Sailor V manga, for any who are unaware. It struck me as weird that the Sailor V manga is essentially never referenced in Sailor Moon. I mean Minako's days as Sailor V are a part of her character and shouldn't be ignored. Using that bit from Sailor V gave me a good opportunity to show some parallels what Rei went through in 'Her Battle'. I promised a Minako centric chapter, but didn't say it would necessarily happy, it'll still be a process.
> 
> Please review, I can't emphasize enough how even just a few words can be such encouragement. So, take a moment and leave a few words please, that's all I ask. Lastly, thank you doggysmoo for helping with revising this chapter :D


	17. The Calm Before…

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 17 – The Calm Before…  
~~~~******~~~~

Artemis observed the three teens a few minutes longer before announcing his presence once more, "I hope you aren't too upset that I involved them now, Minako." He knew his charge well enough to know that she wasn't pleased with him bringing them into this, but he had hoped that she understood at least. He only wanted what was best for her; it had become clear to him that he wasn't able to help her alone.

The three girls separated, giving the avatar of Venus a clear look at the white cat. She gave him a small smile and said, "I'm glad that you did, because I never would have asked."

Artemis let out a sigh of relief, still he was pretty sure she'd have more to say once Usagi and Rei left, but she still sounded sincere to him. "I'm just glad they were able to help."

"You don't have to deal with anything on your own. We are here for you, all of us." Usagi added, taking the other blonde's hand and squeezing it lightly.

Minako smiled at the other girl's words. The Moon Princess always had a way of making everyone feel better about life, she was special like that, it was certainly a gift the other girl possessed. How she didn't feel any negative feelings towards her after learning about Rei and her was still amazing to her. Though it was likely that Rei explained how their relationship started back then, with her or rather Princess Serenity's blessing. Which is a little weird if she thought about it now….

"Don't shut us out then, okay." Rei stated more than asked the blonde.

Her attention turned to the raven haired miko after she spoke and saw her serious expression. She didn't put it past the other girl to keep a closer eye on her following today and didn't want to be a potential distraction for the girl, who she knew had other things to think about, "I won't do that."

Rei nodded her head slightly, "I hope so."

Minako smiled and nodded in return, though it sounded a little like a warning to not get them worried like this again. Perhaps Usagi thought the same, as she released her hand and whispered something into the dark haired girl's ear.

"Caring and comforting, love." Usagi whispered into her girlfriend's ear.

Rei smiled and turned away from Minako for a moment and quietly responded, "I am, but sometimes she needs a kick in the butt. We're more alike than we are different." She paused for a second as a thought occurred to her, "Thank you for the idea, my Princess." She whispered before kissing her confused girlfriend's cheek and looking back to the other blonde. "I just thought of the perfect activity for a meeting tomorrow. We'll meet at the Outers place tomorrow after school, okay?"

"What activity?" Both blondes asked nearly simultaneously.

Rei laughed at how in sync they could be at times before replying, "I'm not going to ruin the surprise. You'll find out tomorrow." It almost made her laugh again at both girl's similar disappointed expressions, but her eyes caught how much darker it looked outside, since they arrived. She placed her hand atop Usagi's thigh and squeezed it gently, draw her attention, "We should probably get going soon though."

Minako nodded, "I understand."

"I'll see you tomorrow at Haruka and Michiru's place." Rei said as she stood up.

"And I'll see you at school tomorrow." Usagi said as she stood beside Rei.

Minako stood as well and said, "I'll show you out then." She pushed her chair back to where it's usual spot was and walked to her bedroom door and waited for her two friends. She watched as Rei took her girlfriend's hand in her own and they began to head towards her. She smiled at them even as a ray of hope made itself known in her heart, that perhaps she could have that one day too. She was done with one day crushes and while she didn't see herself actively looking for anyone, she would follow Rei suggestion and just let what is going to happen, happen.

~~~~******~~~~

Chibi-Usa watched Hotaru with a smile, as she rummaged through her closet. The pink haired girl stood near the dresser holding handful of clothes, a few feet behind her friend, waiting for her to make room. She seemed so determined to clear enough space for the clothes they bought to fit in the relatively small space, and while she admired that, it certainly appeared hopeless. She was about to offer a suggestion when the dark haired girl groaned and fell into the closet somewhat. Chibi-Usa quickly placed the clothes she'd been holding on the dresser and moved help the other girl. She reached out and supported her waist, "Did you need help?" She asked lightly.

Hotaru laughed softly as she said, "Yeah, thanks."

The pink haired girl helped her friend to a steadier position on her feet. From her view of the closet behind the dark haired girl, she could see that she'd made progress, and that made her almost feel bad for what she was about to say, but she still believed it was a fruitless effort. "I appreciate you trying to make this work, but perhaps it would be easier to just store everything in another room. I don't want you to go to all this trouble when we can just use another room."

Hotaru turned around, causing the other girl to let her go. She sighed audibly, as she hated to admit defeat, but it certainly looked that way. "I guess that would probably be easier." She admitted dejectedly.

Her voice sounded hurt and Chibi-Usa felt the need to make her feel better, "Your effort was admirable. I promise that I do appreciate it, but the space here is limited, I'm sorry to say."

Hotaru couldn't hold back a laugh at the other girl's words, they just struck her as funny. She wasn't surprised when the pink haired girl looked confused by her fit of laughter, "I'm sorry Princess, I don't mean to laugh because you are right, even though I didn't want to admit it."

"What did I say that was funny?"

The dark haired girl shook her head, "Nothing in particular, I promise. I know you were trying to make me feel as though efforts weren't wasted, even if they were. So, thank you." She said and touched her forearm lightly. She walked passed her and grabbed the bags they hadn't sorted out yet before turning back, "Would you mind getting the clothes you were holding before?" She asked, motioning toward the dresser.

"Of course." Chibi-Usa said immediately and moved to pick them up once more. As soon as she grabbed them once more, Hotaru spoke again.

"Would you prefer to use the room across the hall or the room next to this one?"

"I'm sure either will be fine, as it will mostly be an oversized changing room. I'm sure where you decide will be perfectly fine." Chibi-Usa answered as she stepped up beside the other girl.

Hotaru nodded before saying, "I guess across the hall will do fine then."

~~~~******~~~~

By the time Rei and Usagi began to walk away from their friend's home, the sun was beginning set. It was later than either girl expected it to be, but it did make Rei recall her promise to her girlfriend's mother, even though she didn't want their weekend together to end she also didn't want make a bad impression on the older Tsukino woman, because she was sure that would impact future sleepovers. She gave a light squeeze of her girlfriend's hand, drawing her attention, "Did you have anything back at the jinja that you'd need before you go back home?"

Usagi looked at the girl curiously, "Nothing that's important, why?"

"I don't want to push things with your parents and not get you back home near when I promised that I would." Rei explained softly, though her voice still rang of the disappointment she felt that their weekend was coming to an end. It didn't feel long enough, and she was sure waking up alone was not going to be anywhere near as enjoyable as waking up with Usagi in her arms. She wasn't lying when she told Usagi of her desire to sleep with her in her arms every night for the rest of their long lives.

Usagi nodded, "I guess you're right." She conceded, sounding as dejected as Rei to admit.

They fell into a prolonged silence then. It wasn't exceptionally far to Usagi's house from Minako's unfortunately, and before they knew it they found themselves on the street that Usagi lived on. When Usagi saw her house, she found herself pulling on Rei's arm, causing her to stop.

"Is something wrong, Usa?" Rei asked softly while rubbing the top of her girlfriend's hand with her thumb.

"I just...I wanted to know if you wanted to come up to my room for a little while."

Rei found herself smiling at her Princess' invitation, but she still didn't wish to cause any trouble for girlfriend. "Are you sure your parents would approve?"

"You could come to my window. They won't have to know..." Usagi suggested.

Rei could almost tease her about wanting her to sneak her into her room, but the hopeful sparkle in her cerulean eyes forced that idea from mind, "Of course I'd like to, I just don't want to get you in trouble."

"There'd be no trouble." Usagi said quickly.

Rei smiled before quickly leaned into her girlfriend and kissed her lips softly. She moved back just enough to look into Usagi's eyes, "You know all you need to do is to ask." She said softly before kissing her briefly again. When they separated this time, Rei lightly squeezed her girlfriend's hand before slowly urging the other girl to continue on. As they again made their way down the sidewalk, Rei added, "I can't stay too late though. Jii-chan probably won't be happy if I stayed out late into the night."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Usagi teased with a smile.

Rei laughed but added, "Usually I'm sneaking out first, so he never even knows I'm gone though."

"I guess that's true." The blonde muttered quietly. She saw here house in front of them afterwards, so she looked over to her girlfriend, "Would you rather that I ask them?"

The raven haired girl thought it over for a couple seconds before speaking, "No, I'll meet you at your window. I think that would be easier."

"Okay!" Usagi exclaimed and very nearly leaned up to kiss the other girl, but remembered that they were right in front of her house, so she settled for wrapping her arms around her. She held her for several seconds before finally pulling away, though she still loosely held her.

Rei noticed the door to Usagi's home open over the blonde's shoulder, 'I guess someone must have seen us coming.' She thought when she saw the other girl's mother. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said a little louder than she normally would have. She received a curious look, so Rei gave a slight motion with her eyes for her to look behind her.

The blonde turned her head to see what the other girl was referring to. When she did, she saw her mother. She let her hands fall away from Rei and took a small step back. She wasn't sure how much of their interaction her mother had seen, but she didn't want to arouse any curiosity in her mother.

Rei smiled before whispering, "I'll meet you at your window shortly." She separated from her girlfriend fully, before looking at the girl's mother, "Thank you again for letting Usagi sleepover this weekend, Tsukino-san."

The blue haired woman smiled before saying, "Thank you for making sure she got home, even a little earlier than I was expecting."

She smiled and said, "I promised that I would, Tsukino-san." Usagi's mother seemed satisfied with her response, which she was pleased with, but she probably should get herself in position for Usagi and to do that she needed to act like she was walking home. "Well, I really should be heading back to the jinja now." She took a couple steps saying good bye again, "See you later, Usagi!"

"Bye, Rei!" The blonde exclaimed, sporting a large smile as she waved enthusiastically at the miko.

The elder Tsukino woman waited patiently for a few seconds before saying, "I'm not sure she can even still see you, Usagi."

The teen turned to her mother, her face a little pinker than normal. "I guess you are right." She said, laughing a little afterwards and finally moving to enter her home.

Once her daughter was inside, she stepped in as well and closed the door behind them. Usagi had already removed her shoes and was heading for the stairs, when the older woman asked, "Did you have a good time this weekend then?"

Usagi stopped immediately and turned to her mother, "Yes! It was great, I love spending time with Rei."

"She's your best friend, right?" Ikuko asked.

"She's…" She nearly immediately replied that she was her girlfriend without really thinking. Calling her, her best friend felt wrong and didn't do adequately describe what she was to her. So, she smiled at her mother as she decided on saying, "She's my most important person." She beamed and hurried up the rest of the stairs to her room.

'Most important person…?' Ikuko thought as she watched her daughter rush up the stairs to her room.

~~~~******~~~~

Artemis perked up as soon as the bedroom door opened, revealing his charge once again. Despite what she may have insisted earlier, he knew that if she was truly upset with him, this would be when he heard it from her. So, he was a little surprised when the blonde walked past him to her bed and lay down with a heavy sigh. He slowly approached the teen, "How are you feeling, Minako?"

The blonde looked to her left, focusing on the white cat, "I'm exhausted, Artemis."

He nodded before adding, "I know it's a bit early, but perhaps you should turn in for the night…"

"I'm not sleepy." She interrupted him before he could finish. She expected her guardian to say something else, but he remained quiet which she was thankful for. She simply stared at her ceiling, letting her mind wander, which recently hadn't really been the best idea, but at the moment she thought of her friends who just visited her. She was truly appreciative of her friends looking out of her, even if she didn't expect the confrontation. She was left feeling better, even if it was a little mentally exhausting, as she said. It hurt to think about her time in London, but it was still a big part of what shaped her into the person she is. 'I just wished that I wasn't so gullible back then…' She thought to herself and a moment later she noticed her vision blurred, it was then that her guardian spoke again as well.

"I didn't think you took Danburite's prophecy to heart." Artemis said finally breaking the silence. "I've been a poor guardian, Minako. I'm sorry for my failings"

Minako wiped her eyes gently as she sat up, "Don't blame yourself. I've just become too good at keeping things secret." She looked away from him as she added, "It's just been on my mind seeing all of my friends happy and in love, while I don't see my happy ending ahead of me."

"You are seventeen years old and you have forever ahead of you." The white cat interjected.

"I know that, Artemis. And I promise I'm not trying to sound pessimistic. I'm simply looking at things realistically. You know as well as I do that being Senshi is as important as the girl that I am too." She paused for a couple seconds before speaking again, "I'm just saying that as much as I would like someone how all my friends have, I won't seek it out…."

"I thought you told Rei…?"

"I told her that I would be open if something came my way and I will keep to my word, but I think first and foremost I need to be comfortable and happy with how my life is now, in the possibility that there isn't anyone out there for me. Does that make sense?" She asked, finishing with a look at the cat near her feet.

Artemis nodded slightly, "I understand." He said and watched his charge lay back down. He waited a few moments for her to get comfortable before adding, "For what it's worth, I believe whomever it is out there, and I do believe there is someone out there, they will be lucky to have you because you have a lot of love to give."

The blonde teen rolled on to her side and looked over to Artemis, "Thank you." She said quietly with a smile.

~~~~******~~~~

Rei was a couple blocks away when she determined that she'd walked far enough away that she wouldn't be spotted coming back because that would certainly make for an awkward conversation. She was confident in her stealth abilities, but it was better to be on the safe side. She gave a quick look around before pulling out her transformation rod.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-up!"

In moments she was transformed into her alter ego, Sailor Mars. She quickly leapt on to a nearby roof and began to make her way back to Usagi's house. It would only take a few seconds to get back, she would just wait in the tree near her girlfriend's window. A moment later her destination was in view and she made one last leap, silently landing on the branch closest to Usagi's room. She undid her transformation and sat down, though she didn't expect to wait long, but she still made herself comfortable on the branch as she waited.

It had been a long day, a long weekend if she thought about it. There were so many things to think about, to meditate on really, but not so much that she would lose sight of the present. The problem was that she didn't know when she'd be able to meditate as it would likely be too late to try when she got home and with tomorrow being Monday, that meant school. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes for a moment. The ones after her daughter would not stay quiet for long, 'They had to be plotting something…' She thought and it was with that in mind that she told herself that she didn't want to be completely blindsided by it. 'I'll deal with my strange reaction to that song later. Chibi-Usa is more of a priority.' She told herself as her eye caught the sound of a window opening nearby.

Rei smiled when she saw the window in front of her open, a moment later Usagi's head popped out and quickly spotted her girlfriend sitting patiently on the tree branch closest to her window. A smile quickly spread across her lips before she whispered, "Whenever you're ready."

Rei nodded and stood up before soundlessly leaping on to the roof and ducking inside. As soon as she was fully in the room, she felt arms wrap around her midsection. Rei laughed as she asked, "Didn't you just see me no more than ten minutes ago?" Looking back over her shoulder.

Usagi smiled as well before leaning up and kissed her cheek, "Yes, but I still missed you and since my mother was there I couldn't kiss you before you ran off."

"Well I'd already agreed to meet you here, didn't I?" Rei asked softly and turned around fully, so she could now face her girlfriend. She reached up and placed one hand on her shoulder, while she brought the other to Usagi's cheek. She brushed her fingers lightly over the flushed skin beneath them. "Now that I'm here, what did you want to do?"

Usagi closed her eyes as she ever so slightly leaned into the touch, "Mmm…I just want to have you here in my arms." She finally said softly.

"I think I can manage that." Rei said lightly and slipped her hand behind her girlfriend's neck and brought her closer a moment later, while she closed any remaining distance herself, bringing their lips together. As they kissed, Rei could feel Usagi's hands rubbing her back, just steadily up and down even as Rei pulled back enough to ask, "Wouldn't this be more comfortable sitting or lying down?"

"Probably, but do you trust yourself?" Usagi asked with smug smile.

Rei laughed softly at her question, "I do, but do you?"

"I can behave." Usagi said in her most innocent sounding voice.

Rei wasn't sure her girlfriend entirely meant that, but there was only one way to find out and since they didn't have the rest of the evening together, she began to lead her to her bed. They'd shared this bed a couple times in the past, so she knew there wasn't much room for two people but they'd made it work before.

Once they reached the bed, Rei smiled and motioned for Usagi to get comfortable first, "After you, Princess."

The blonde shook her head slightly but got into her bed without a word, at least until she was lying down, "You're a Princess too you know."

Rei nodded and laughed lightly before moving to lay beside her girlfriend, "Perhaps, but you're the Princess." She said as she settled into the bed. Princess was never a word that she felt suited her, she was a warrior above all. She just happened to be born into royalty, making her a Princess in name more than anything.

Usagi shifted her position as she scooted closer to her girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her midsection and resting her head on her chest before speaking, "You're my Princess though." She said softly, but firmly as well. She shut her eyes and listened to the steady thump of her love's heart, "My fiery Princess." She murmured far more quietly.

Rei smiled the nickname her Princess referred to her by. She might not remember their time together during the Silver Millennium and it may only be on a subconscious level, but she liked hearing her call her that again. She reached up and began running her fingers through her girlfriend's hair, while she felt Usagi's breathing becoming more and more soft, as if she was falling asleep, though perhaps she was. "Usa?" Rei asked softly.

"Mmm…"

"Just making sure you're still with me." Rei answered with a smile.

Usagi tilted her head up, so that she could meet the other girl's eyes, "I'll always be with you." She said, sounding much more lucid than a few seconds ago.

"I'm not going anywhere either, you know. Now and forever." She said quietly, caressing her cheek lightly causing the other girl's eyes to flutter closed. The room fell silent for a few seconds before Rei spoke again, "You can sleep if you want. I have no plans on leaving for a little while still."

With a smile Usagi rested her head back down on her girlfriend's chest. She lay there silently enjoying the feel of Rei's fingers drawing indiscriminate patterns on her back, when she remembered a questioned that she meant to ask earlier. "What did you have planned for tomorrow at Haruka and Michiru's home?"

She paused any further movement of her hand for a moment as she spoke, "Oh that, I wanted us to spar with each other tomorrow. The practice would be good and I'm sure Minako would like a way to release any built up energy. I already have the pairings set in my mind." Usagi tilted her head up and looked at her curiously, but Rei simply smiled and said, "Like I told you, she is more similar to me than we are different, Minako and I. Sparring will be freeing for her. It'll help her, I promise."

"I trust your judgement, Rei." She said with a smile, when another thought occurred to her. "Perhaps we can try to help Chibi-Usa with her inability to transform too. It would be good if she can transform and never be completely defenseless."

Rei nodded slightly at her girlfriend's suggestion, "That is true, but I imagine we already did most anything we could think of already. Maybe she simply won't be able to. I know she said we believe that she can, but perhaps that's because the girl we knew before was able to and that has no bearing on her. I'm certainly willing to do whatever we can to help her though." She already tried to put assurances in place that Chibi-Usa would never be defenseless, but she knew there were no certainties especially if she found herself on a battlefield, though that was less than ideal of course. "She'll be safe though, Usa. I promise."

Usagi nodded her head against her chest, hold her tighter for moment before saying, "They are going to come for her again, aren't they?"

She almost wished that she could reassure her, but she knew that it'd be a lie and that was something she wasn't going to do. She took a deep breath, "They will, but we'll stop them." She paused for a second before adding, "I won't ask you to not worry because that's a foolish thing to ask, but I will say that this isn't like before with Death Phantom. We're stronger and they won't have the element of surprise. I'll know if they show up here." She felt her girlfriend shift a moment later before she saw a pair of cerulean eyes met her own.

"I don't want you overtaxing yourself either, Rei. We still don't know what happened yesterday." Usagi stated, concern written all over her face.

"I'll be fine as long as our enemy doesn't plan on playing that song over some speakers when we meet them again." She said jokingly, though Usagi didn't seem to think it was very funny because she still looked worried. "I'm fine, Usa. I promise that I am. I've suffered no ill effects today or since we returned to the jinja yesterday for that matter. I promise to tell you if I feel something like that come on again as soon as it happens."

Usagi nodded her head slightly, "You better." She mumbled softly before resting her head down once more.

"I promise." Rei said quietly, but more than loud enough for the other girl to hear her. She again began to lightly run her fingers across Usagi's back, trying to lull her back to a point of near sleep, even as her mind continued to think about what they were facing. She did wish that she had a better idea about what kind of abilities they possessed but in the end it didn't matter because above all she needed was to keep Usagi and Chibi-Usa safe. Her daughter…that was a concept she was still trying to completely wrap her head around. It felt right, just not what she expected and certainly not where she thought her life would be just a few weeks ago. Still, things were really so much better than she would have predicted back then, and she loved how things turned out.

She heard the soft snoring of the blonde laying on top of her and smiled at the sound before glancing across the room to the clock in her bedroom. 'I should be getting back to the jinja…' She thought to herself, when she felt Usagi hold her a little tighter. 'I swear she can hear what I'm thinking…' She thought as a yawn escaped her lips a moment later. She shut her eyes after a few seconds, 'I guess there's no harm in waiting a little longer…' And those were her last coherent thoughts that evening.

~~~~******~~~~

_Elsewhere_ …

"You called for me? I assume that means you are ready?" Heliodor asked as soon as he barged into the dimly lit room.

The seated blue haired woman groaned before speaking, "Have you no manners? You could at least knock…"

"I…" He started but a glare from the woman silenced him. "I let my exuberance get the best of me. I'm simply eager, as you know."

With a sigh, she passed a paper along the table to Heliodor. He quickly sat down and went about reading the paper he was just given. He stopped as the strategy laid out finally revealed his main role. "I'm supposed to deal with her on my own?" Heliodor asked incredulously as he slammed the paper back on to the table.

"She is my opposite, I cannot contain her. Or do did you expect me to do all the work here? Or is it perhaps that you are afraid to fight her?" Maxixe asked with a crooked smile.

"But you control water…" He began, but was quickly cut off.

"I control ice, you fool!" She yelled as she stood up from her chair. "If you don't like my plan, feel free to engage them on your own and die in the process. See if I care!" She yelled and swiftly made her way to the exit.

Heliodor quickly stood and blocked her from leaving, "I just didn't expect to be alone against her."

"Then bring a shade or two to aid you, I don't care. Either follow my plan or do this on your own." She said with a glare.

"How soon will you be ready?" Heliodor asked quickly.

Maxixe laughed at his question, "What do you take me for? I was ready before I called for you to meet me."

He gave a slight nod with his head, "Allow me to gather my forces. I will be ready shortly." He said and disappeared a moment later.

As soon as he was gone, she scoffed at him, "He better not fuck this up or I'll kill him myself." She thought aloud and took another step towards the exit, but paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder before shaking her head after second and finally leaving.

After a few moments of the room being empty, someone new appeared stepping out of the shadows, "I believe I'm going to want a front row seat for this…" Morganite said and burst into maniacal laughter as he picked up the discarded paper.

End ch. 17

~~~~******~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update… I know it's been a while yet again and I am sorry about that. The only thing I can promise is what I've always promised this story will not be abandoned. I promise that I never simply stop writing, my sporadic updates has much more to do with my personal life and my health. This story isn't going to stop even if there are delays, I promise that. So, I hope there are still people out there following this and waiting for an update, to those and anyone new to reading this thank you! Let me just end by saying, that I love all of you amazing people that read and review


	18. ...Oncoming Storm

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 18 – …Oncoming Storm  
~~~~******~~~~

Ikuko just finished plating eggs and toast for her family, when she looked at the clock in the kitchen. 'Why is it like this every school day?' She asked herself not for the first time. She hadn't heard her daughter get up yet, so she knew she must still be asleep. Usagi never seemed to develop an internal clock to get up at a decent time to get ready for school. 'One more minute, that's all she gets.' She thought to herself and walked over to the refrigerator and took out a carton of orange juice before grabbing four glasses from the cabinet and proceeding to pour some juice in each.

She put the carton back into the fridge a moment later as her thoughts traveled to her daughter. She had been acting differently for a couple weeks now, but she wasn't a child so she didn't come to her with her problems. She knew her daughter well enough to know that something was different; she just didn't know what. She wasn't sure how much longer she could go waiting for her to tell her what's been going on. Still, she remembered being a teenager and perhaps patience was the best approach.

Her eyes noticed the clock at that time and realized she couldn't put off waking Usagi without risking her being late to school. There was no sense in everyone's breakfast getting cold though, "Kenji! Shingo! Come get you breakfast!" She called before starting her trek up to her daughter's room.

~~~~******~~~~

The first rays of sunshine were barely reaching the two sleeping teenagers, both girls completely oblivious to the world around them. The small bed meant they were completely in each other's personal space; legs tangled together, the blonde sleeping nearly on top of her girlfriend, her face nestled into the crook of the other girl's neck. While the brunette still held a loose hold around the other girl, looking quite comfortable and protective at the same time. Both were none the wiser to what was to come…

KNOCK KNOCK

A moment later the bedroom door swung open, "Usagi! It's time to…!" Ikuko announced as she entered the room but stopped as soon as her eyes landed on her daughter's bed and saw someone else with her there. She couldn't hold back a surprised shriek. That seemed to be enough to rouse the teens from their slumber. She covered her mouth immediately afterwards, as she was quite loud a moment ago, but she didn't expect to come into her daughter's room and see someone else in her bed with her.

Both girls sat up, almost simultaneously, and while Usagi looked confused at what startled her awake, Rei looked like she was ready to jump at whatever made the noise that awoke her, as if she expected some kind of attack. Rei had one hand protectively around Usagi, at least until she seemed to realize where she was, then lost some of the intensity. Though that meant that it wasn't long before both girls discovered the source of the noise they heard and laid eyes on Usagi's mother.

"Okaa-san!" Usagi exclaimed as she tried rather unsuccessfully to separate herself from Rei.

"Why exactly is Rei-san here? I thought she went home?" The older Tsukino asked looking between both girls, wanting an answer from someone about that and why the two girls looked as comfortable as could be sleeping together, it was rather intimate if she allowed herself to think that.

Rei seemed to have recovered first as she was on her feet addressing the older woman, "I'm so sorry, it's my fault…"

"Rei, don't." The blonde interrupted, having finally made it to her feet. She walked around her girlfriend to stand in front of her. If her mother was going to be mad at anyone, it was going to be her. Rei wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for her. Besides that, she didn't want Rei to lie to her mother about what she may have seen. "Rei doesn't have anything to apologize for, I asked her to come back."

"Was something wrong? You can tell me; you didn't need to ask Rei to come back."

"Nothing's wrong, I promise. I just…." She started to say but reached behind her back, seeking her girlfriend's hand or any part of her really. She just wanted to feel Rei's warmth, to have some direct contact with her.

Rei was quick to take her girlfriend's hand, as she had an idea what she was working on telling her mother, and she was glad to lend whatever strength she could to her Princess. She knew how Tsukino-san had discovered them just a few minutes ago could be explained as them simply being friendly-it wasn't as though they were making out or anything, but if Usagi wished to use this as a means to explain their relationship to her mother, she was completely supportive of her decision.

"Okaa-san, I wanted Rei to come back because I wanted…" She trailed off before finishing that statement. There was no going back if she admitted to her mother how close Rei and her are and while this was certainly not how she wished to tell her, she wasn't going to lie about them. She felt Rei give her hand a light squeeze, a small gesture to make sure she knew was there for her. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before looking her mother in the eye and saying, "I wanted to spend a little more time with my girlfriend."

Ikuko noticed for the first time, the two girls linked hands. She would be lying to herself if she hadn't questioned, at least internally, how close her daughter was to her friend, but she'd never shown any signs that she was attracted to girls, at least until recently when questions began to enter her mind. She remembered a couple nights ago…

~~**~~   
(flashback)

"Why did you break up then?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

Usagi could feel Rei squeeze her hand, bringing a small smile to her lips, "We just…realized we weren't meant to be…"

"Like I said good riddance." The patriarch of the family said. Usagi sighed and looked as if she was going to saying something again, but he spoke up again before she could. "Usagi, I was his age once too and I know what men his age are thinking."

"He wasn't like that…" The blond protested.

"Honey, all men are like that." He said and took a deep breath as he added, "I just think you would do better to find a nice boy your own age…" He paused when he saw his daughter's reaction. "What's wrong, honey?"

Rei could feel the change in her girlfriend immediately and squeezed her hand once again, but didn't get any real response. She really just wanted nothing more than to hold the other girl in her arms, but she also didn't want to cause her parents to ask even more questions. She took a quick glance over and saw she wasn't likely to respond to her father anytime soon, so she spoke up for her love. "I'm really sorry, Tsukino-san but we really should be going. Our friends are waiting for us." She said and gave a little tug on her girlfriend's arm, bringing her back to reality. Usagi looked over at Rei and it only took a moment for a smile to return to the girl's lips.

"Usagi…" Ikuko said

Rei turned around and gave Usagi's mother a warm smile, "She's fine. She's just still getting over M-Mamoru-san." The raven haired girl said and let go of Usagi's hand, deciding to put her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders tenderly instead, holding her comfortably against herself. She really wanted to kiss her and reassure her girlfriend's concerns, but now wasn't the best time to do that, so she just ushered the blonde away from her home.

The blue haired woman nodded, "Okay…have fun." She said and watched Rei lead her daughter away from their home.

Kenji looked at his wife, "What was that about?"

She shook her head, "I don't have a clue." She said and took one more look at the two girls before closing the door.

(end flashback)  
~~**~~

And then just the night before, her daughter's words curious to her then. She seemed to choose her words carefully before calling Rei her most important person. Still, she didn't want to leave any room for doubt, so she asked a question she hoped would remove any room for interpretation, "So you are dating?"

"I love her." Usagi said simply, but with an unwavering confidence.

"And I love her, with every fiber of my being." Rei added, stepping even with her girlfriend, offering a united front.

It would have been cute, if she hadn't found them together in the morning. Rei staying over without her knowledge, let alone approval, but she was glad that was completely cleared up. It allowed Ikuko reprimand her daughter about a rule she thought her daughter knew, "Usagi, I'm pretty sure we made it clear back when you told us you were dating Mamoru-san that he wasn't allowed in your room alone and I'm sorry but that is the same for, Rei-san too. Let alone spending the night…" She said with a sigh.

"We didn't do anything mother, I swear." Usagi said quickly. Her mother didn't need to know about their nights at the shrine-that was no doubt better left unsaid. "I just wanted to be near her…"

The elder Tsukino woman seemed to observe both girls fully, perhaps for the first time since she was shocked by their intimate position on her daughter's bed. She was sure they were wearing the same clothes she remembered them being in the night before, and she couldn't help being relieved at that. She didn't know what she would have said, let alone done if they had done more than sleep in the same bed, but she was relieved nonetheless. She didn't know if it was curiosity, but the question escaped her lips before she could think about it, "And does your grandfather know?" Ikuko asked softly.

Rei wasn't entirely sure if she meant that she stayed the night or if he knew about them, she figured it was the latter so she nodded her head at her question, "We told him yesterday morning, but he doesn't know I stayed here last night. We didn't plan on this; I wouldn't do something that was against any rules you'd given Usagi. I'm sure Jii-chan is not going to be happy that I never came home last night."

The dark haired girl was being honest, as far as she could tell. Rei never struck her as someone that would lie; then again she didn't imagine her daughter would also call this girl her girlfriend. The older woman sighed and lowered her gaze to the floor after a moment, but as she did she caught sight of the clock across the room. This was a discussion to be had another time, when they actually had time because right now her daughter was seriously going to be late for school. She looked at her daughter as she said, "You need to get ready for school." She then turned to Rei, "And I'm sure you do too." She said before looking between both girls, "We'll talk about this later, along with your father."

Usagi nodded, she expected her mother to ground her or perhaps say something about Rei being a girl. She hadn't made any reference to Rei's gender, and she simply wanted to be sure her mother didn't have a problem with that as she asked, "Are you disappointed in me?"

"Disappointed?" Ikuko repeated, clearly confused by her question.

"That Rei is a girl…" Usagi explained further. She felt Rei's grip on her hand tighten a moment later.

"Honey, I'm disappointed that you didn't tell me that you were in a relationship with someone new. I'm disappointed that you had Rei sneak in last night. I'm disappointed that I had to find the both of you in bed this morning. I am not disappointed that you love a girl. I've known Rei for more than four years now, and I know what type of girl she is." She said looking over to the brunette for a moment before focusing on her daughter to add, "I would never be disappointed that you love a girl."

Usagi moved away from Rei for the first time and walked to her mother. As soon as she was within arm's reach, she hugged her mother, taking the older woman by surprise. She heard her daughter thank her quietly, prompting her to rub her back as she replied, "That's nothing you need to thank me for." She could feel Usagi nod a moment later, when she caught Rei watching them with a small smile. "Besides, I swear she looks like she would jump in front of a bullet for you." She added even quieter. That statement seemed to give her daughter a pause before laughed lightly. Ikuko cleared her throat after a moment, "You really need to get ready for school," She said to her daughter before looking at Rei, "And you need get back home."

"Can you give us a minute?" Usagi asked quickly as she pulled away from her mother. When it appeared that she wasn't going to say yes, she pleaded with her a bit more, "Please? Only a minute."

The older woman sighed, but relented, "Okay, one minute." She said and turned around, walking towards the door, but stopped as she was about opened the door. "We are going to discuss this further, just not when you're already running late for school."

Usagi nodded, "I understand." She said and waited for her mother to exit her room to give Rei and her a little privacy.

As soon as the door closed Rei quickly stepped over to her girlfriend, "I can't believe I fell asleep here last night, Usa. I'm so sorry you were had to explain to your mother about us like that." She said and took her hands in her own.

"I'm not sorry." Usagi said quickly, causing Rei to cock her head to the left curiously. "Okay, I am sorry how I had to tell her, but not that I told her."

Rei squeezed her hands slightly as she spoke, "I'm glad your mother is the type of person she is, Usa." She smiled afterwards, though she couldn't help wondering how her own mother would have taken the news of their relationship. She lost her when she was so young, but she still remembered how loving she was and how warm her father used to be, but she'd rather not think about him…

Usagi noticed the change in her girlfriend immediately; she was lost in her own thoughts, "What are you thinking about?"

The dark haired girl shook her slightly, "Nothing, just…my parents…well my mother mostly." She explained softly, while Usagi stepped closer to her, "It's not important, Usa." She said, trying to dismiss the subject.

The Moon Princess brought her hand to Rei's cheek, "Of course it's important…"

Before the blonde could say anymore there was a knock on her door again, "Usagi are you getting ready, yet?"

Rei leaned forward, while her girlfriend was distracted and kissed her quickly, "Another time, I promise." She said after pulling away. Talking about her mother wasn't easy for her, and they didn't really have the time because Usagi's mother was definitely right about them being late for school if they didn't hurry up.

"Okay…" Usagi mumbled, clearly not pleased that their conversation would have to wait.

Rei squeezed her girlfriend's hands once more before letting them slip from her fingers, "I'm sorry, Usa." Rei was about to leave through the window, when she stopped, "I guess I should leave through the front door?"

Usagi shook her head, "It'll be fine if you leave through the window because then you won't run into anyone else, my dad or my brother."

Just before leaping out the window, Rei turned to look over her shoulder to say, "Don't forget to tell the girls about our meeting at Haruka and Michiru's place. I'll meet you guys there okay?"

Usagi nodded and called, "I love you!" Prompting the other girl to stop one more time.

Rei looked back with smile, "I love you too! I'll see you after school." She said before leaping out the window.

~~~~******~~~~

As soon as Rei was able to, she transformed and ran home as fast as her enhanced speed would allow her to move. She was sure her grandfather realized she never came home last night. She just hoped that any lecture could wait until after school because as it was already, she was going to barely get there on time. As she saw the shrine coming into view, she slowed her pace to a more normal running speed. As she reached the steps she undid her transformation, not wanted to risk being seen as Mars even if she could have gotten up the stairs quicker.

Rei slipped into the shrine as quietly as she could, though she knew there was no way to sneak in at this time of day. Her grandfather would be doing his morning chores, her only chance of being missed by him was be quick and in a different part of the jinja than him. So to put it simply, she needed to be lucky and just as the day started-luck was not on her side. As she turned the corner that led to the hallway where her room was, she nearly collided with her grandfather.

"I see you do remember where you live." The elderly man stated calmly.

Rei lowered her head immediately, "I'm sorry, Jii-chan." She looked up as she added, "I swear I didn't intend on staying out all night. I walked Usagi home and I told her that I would stay with her until she fell asleep, but I guess I was more tired than I thought and fell asleep too. I'm sorry that I didn't come home last night."

He sighed quietly at hearing the regret in her voice and moved aside, "I'm sure you need to get ready for school."

Rei nodded hurriedly, "Yes, Jii-chan."

"Very well." He said and motioned for her to move along. Rei quickly moved past him, but as she reached her room, his voice made her pause, "I don't want you to repeat this night again though, do you understand?"

Rei again nodded quickly, "I do." She said and received a slight nod in agreement a moment later. Once she saw that, she quickly entered her room, knowing she was very limited on time now.

~~~~******~~~~

Usagi was a little relieved that she only received a lecture about being late, rather than a detention. Rei was expecting her and everyone else at Haruka and Michiru's place, which she actually still needed to tell the girls, at least Ami and Makoto, about their plans, "Minna?"

She grabbed everyone's attention as soon as she spoke up, "Rei and I thought it would be good for us to meet up after school. I hope everyone is free."

"Of course. Are we going to the jinja then?" Makoto asked.

Usagi shook her head, "We were going meet at Haruka and Michiru's place. Chibi-Usa is there so it makes more sense for us to meet up there. Rei is going to meet us there too."

"That sounds good." Ami stated in agreement.

Usagi nodded, while Makoto whispered something to her girlfriend prompting a conversation between them. She was amazed how much restraint both girls showed at school because she didn't think she would be able to do that if Rei went here as well. She'd wished many times that they went to the same school and while that was certainly still true, she'd rather not pretend Rei was nothing more than a friend. She barely contained a laugh as she realized there were fewer and fewer people she had to do that with after this morning.

After a few minutes of silence from the blonde, Usagi felt a hand on her arm, prompting her to look to her right and see a worried looking Minako, "Are you alright? You haven't quite been yourself today." She whispered.

Usagi smiled at her friend. Even with all that has been on her mind, she was still observant of her. It was still on her mind, the events of this morning. While it was a bit of a relief, it was also so sudden; she and Rei had only briefly talked about telling her parents. She felt her friend squeeze her arm lightly, making her remember she hadn't explained herself aloud yet. "Sorry, Mina-chan, I didn't mean to worry you. I was just thinking about this morning." She said and paused for a few seconds before adding, "My mother came in to wake me up, and she saw Rei in bed with me."

"How did she take it?" The other blonde asked cautiously.

"Umm…pretty well, I mean, Rei and I weren't doing anything so it wasn't as awkward as it could have been, but I just wasn't expecting to have that conversation this morning." She said with an audible sigh.

Minako nodded as she said, "I see…that is a big deal. I'm sorry that you weren't able to tell her on your own terms, though it's good she didn't see you and Rei doing more than sleeping. That would have been really embarrassing!"

Usagi laughed a little at what her friend was suggesting, "Rei and I haven't really done much more than kiss to be honest."

"Really?" Minako questioned, her voice not hiding her surprise at all.

The Moon Princess sighed and threw her head back in exasperation, "Really." She paused for a couple seconds, taking another deep breath before turning to look at her friend, "She wants us to wait for the right moment, but all I want is her and any moment will do…" She cut herself off from saying any more, realizing how her friend might be feeling. She couldn't help feeling as though she was being insensitive to her friend talking about her desire to take things to the next level with Rei, knowing Minako's feelings. "I'm sorry, Mina-chan. I'm talking about this without any regard for your feelings."

"Usagi, there's nothing you need to apologize for." She said with a smile, before speaking up again, "Who do you think it was that advised you about her in our last life? You just need to make sure she knows what you want."

Usagi sighed once more, "I have told her though." She said softly, when she felt Minako drape her arm across her shoulders.

"Then you just need to have patience." Minako said and smiled when the Moon Princess turned to face her. A moment later the bell rang out through the courtyard, signifying the end of the period.

With a nod, she agreed a moment later, "I know, but it doesn't make it any easier."

Minako laughed at her friend and was about to speak when Makoto spoke first, "Were you both trying to be late going back to class?"

Instead of saying whatever she was going to say, Minako turned her attention to her other friend, "I wouldn't dream of it; I love math!" She exclaimed, not trying to hide her sarcasm about her least favorite subject.

"Math is a very important subject, Minako. I know it isn't your favorite subject, but you should try hard at it nonetheless." Ami chimed in.

"Yeah, yeah…" The blonde muttered absentmindedly as she stood up, offering a hand to the Moon Princess afterward. She smiled and allowed her friend to help her up.

"It isn't long until entrance exams, and math will be an important part of it." Ami stated, knowing this wasn't the time to slack off on the schooling.

Usagi smiled at her friend's efforts. She knew school should be more important to her than it always seemed to be, but things always seemed to be higher on her priority list. Ami always tried to keep them on track when it came to school despite everything going on in their lives. "It probably wouldn't be a good idea to be late to another class." Usagi said lightly as she walked in front of her friends, turning around a moment later, "Besides the sooner we get through our next class sooner the day will be over." She added.

"Now that's something I can get on board with. The sooner we get there, the sooner we're done." Minako said with a laugh, causing Ami to sigh but follow the two blondes nonetheless, along with her girlfriend.

~~~~******~~~~

As Rei stood in front of the door to Haruka and Michiru's place she wondered if they remembered that she intended on coming over today. She mentioned it the other day, but it was a little late to tell them now, so she just rang the doorbell. She stepped back and waited for someone to answer, which didn't take more than a few seconds.

Haruka stood in the doorway and greeted the other girl with a smile, "Hello Rei." She looked around her for a moment before adding, "By yourself?"

Rei nodded, "Yes, I came directly from school." She said while the taller blonde moved a little to allow her entrance. Once she was inside, she added, "Usagi will be her shortly with everyone else. There's some…." Her words were cut off by an excited voice on the stairs.

"Mama!"

Rei looked past the older outer soldiers to see Chibi-Usa running down the stairs, with Hotaru following a short distance behind, moving at a much more reasonable pace. The pink haired girl jumped down the last two steps before running to her future parent, colliding almost full force into her. Rei simply absorbed it, causing her to lift the other girl off the ground slightly. "I'm happy to see you too." She said softly, for only the other girl to hear before gently placing her feet back on the ground.

As they pulled apart, the pink haired girl seemed to realize for the first time that only one of parents were present. "Where's mother?" The future Princess asked looking around again, trying not to appear anxious that they weren't together. It was probably unreasonable to expect them to always be together; this was a different time, and they lived separately after all.

Rei smiled and placed her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder as she answered, "She'll be here soon enough, along with everyone else. We don't go to the same school, so I got here first." She saw the other girl nod at her explanation, so she turned her attention back to Haruka and Michiru, "I hope you don't mind that I asked everyone to come here today."

"It's fine, Rei. We have more than enough room." Michiru said quickly.

With a nod, Rei added, "Good, because I hoped that we could get some training in as well. I already had the pairings in mind if that's alright."

"That's fine by me, but I'm sure you already assumed that." Haruka said and smiled almost giddily as she added, "I wouldn't want to get rusty."

"My thoughts exactly." Rei said quickly, before noticing the youngest senshi finally make her way over to them, "Hello Hotaru-chan, how are you doing?"

The youngest girl smiled slightly as she approached everyone else, "I'm doing well, thank you." She said coming to a stop beside Haruka.

Before anything else could be said, the doorbell rang again. Haruka again moved to the door and opened it to reveal the rest of the girls, just as Rei had said. Chibi-Usa moved away from Rei for the first time since she arrived to greet her mother with a hug. Usagi seemed to be the loudest among the group, or perhaps it was just that Rei was more focused on her than anyone else.

"How have you been?" Usagi asked cheerfully, holding the other girl in a tight hug. Rei couldn't quite make out what the pink haired replied, but her answer must have satisfied her girlfriend because she was smiling a moment later saying, "I'm glad." She walked over to Rei with Chibi-Usa in tow and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Rei smiled and took Usagi's hand as the chatter between everyone seemed to have quieted. "Is it okay if we all go to the backyard?" Rei asked as soon as everyone appeared to be over with their greetings.

"Of course." Michiru said with a nod.

All the girls then began to follow the two older women through their home. It wouldn't take them long to reach their destination and Usagi knew she wouldn't be given any time to talk when that happened, so she leaned into her girlfriend and whispered, "Were you really late to school this morning?"

"I was later than I'd ever been, so I was pretty late, yes." She said and paused for moment before adding, "It's fine though, Usa. I just got a stern talking to about how tardiness was unacceptable and that it was a bad example to underclassmen and such. It was my first offense so, they didn't do more than warn me."

Usagi nodded, "I'm glad you didn't get into trouble." She said softly and as they reached the back door, she asked, "What about Ojji-chan?"

"Well like I expected, he wasn't happy about me not coming home last night, I apologized and made sure he knew that it wouldn't happen again. I don't want him putting any restrictions on us or the time we spend together." She said as they began to step outside. She could see Usagi nod, but before being able to say any more, another girl drew her attention.

"What's going on, Rei?" Makoto asked as soon as they were outside.

"So, I know we've only talked about it in passing, but I thought it would be good for all of us to do some training today." Rei explained and looked at the other girls for their reactions. She was thankful that they seemed to be pretty positive. "Since we are an even number, I thought it'd be good to spar against someone you don't normally get to."

"So you already had our partners in mind?" Minako asked curiously.

"I did, if everyone is okay with that?" Rei asked and looked to see if anyone had any objections. When no one appeared to, she continued, "Okay, so Makoto will be with Haruka. Ami if you could go with Michiru. Minako, you'll be with me and that leaves Hotaru with Usagi."

"I can't fight the Princess…" Hotaru said as soon as the pairings were announced.

"You're not fighting Usagi, you're sparring with each other." Rei explained, but the youngest senshi still didn't look too excited at the prospect even mock fighting the girl she was responsible for protecting.

Rei was about to explain further the purpose of their exercise, but Usagi shook her head and touched her forearm, stilling anything she might have been about to say. "We'll be fine, Rei." She said and walked over to Hotaru and took the younger girl's hand before leading her to the far end of the yard, away from everyone else.

She watched them walk away for moment before looking to everyone else, "Is everyone else good?" She asked, clapping her hands together. When she didn't receive any more protests she spoke once more, "Excellent! Let's do this." She motioned for Minako to follow her, when she turned around, she found Chibi-Usa there. She touched her shoulder lightly, drawing her full attention to her, "It might be a good idea to watch everyone closer to the house. Just to be safe."

The pink haired girl nodded, "Okay, Mama." She said a moment later running off in the direction she was told to go.

"You seem pretty comfortable with her calling you that." Minako observed, announcing her close proximity.

Rei turned away from her future daughter and locked eyes with her friend, "I'll admit that it was a bit of an adjustment to get used to, but it feels right…her calling me that." She said with a smile.

"I'm glad, she does seem to be very fond of you after all." She said lightly.

The dark haired girl nodded, she was already quite aware of that, but this topic wasn't why they were here and she wished to get back to that. She was itching to feel the power of her transformation, it had been too long since she engaged in any form of combat. Sailor Mars was a part of her and she'd been neglecting that part of herself for too long. "Are you trying to delay me beating you?"

"Aren't you confident?" Minako asked, laughing a little at the end.

Rei smiled as she took out her crystal rod, "It's been a while since we've actually sparred with each other though, hasn't it?"

Minako nodded with a smile as well, "It has been. Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you are with Usagi now."

Rei laughed lightly at her friend's words, "I would be disappointed if you did."

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-up!"

~~~~******~~~~

Usagi took one look over her shoulder and saw that everyone else had paired off already, so no one really had their attention on them anymore. So she turned her attention back to the youngest Sailor Senshi, "We really don't have to spar if you are uncomfortable with the idea, Hotaru-chan."

The dark haired girl nodded slightly before looking behind Usagi for a second, but gave Usagi her attention as she asked, "Rei-san won't be upset that we don't, will she?"

Usagi smiled as she answered, "No, she won't be, I promise. She wanted to do this for Minako's benefit, but I think she's gotten a little anxious not training to be honest as well."

"I see." Hotaru said softly and stared at the grass between her and Usagi. She couldn't help feeling a little stupid for her reaction to the idea of sparring with the Princess. 'A solider gets stronger by training, right?' She questioned herself and there were those she wished to protect above all.

Usagi frowned at the other girl's reaction. It was certainly not her intention to upset her, she was simply trying explain Rei's mindset with this. Hotaru had never been a part of any meetings where they used them as times to train though, she realized. "Hotaru-chan?" Usagi said, startling the other girl. She smiled apologetically, "Sit with me." She requested as she sat down. The younger girl followed suit a couple seconds later. She felt as though a change in subject was in order, so that's what she did. "Can I ask you about Chibi-Usa?"

Hotaru quickly looked over to the pink haired girl, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Usagi. Chibi-Usa had taken up a spot somewhat close to Mars and Venus, she was watching them intently, so she wouldn't even realize that other eyes were on her. The dark haired girl seemed to eventually feel eyes on her though, so she looked down sheepishly, "Of course you can Princess."

Usagi smiled and reached over and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "I promise that I won't make you break any promises you made her, okay?" After receiving a brief nod, she added, "I just want to know how you think she is holding up. She's let her guard down with you more than she has with Rei or myself."

She felt like she could answer that. She had initially feared that she was going to ask… She shook her head slightly before taking a deep breath and said, "She worries herself too much about people and things beyond her control." She explained softly.

The Moon Princess nodded her head, she'd already gotten a glimpse of that herself. "Yes, I'd say that's a trait she picked up from Rei, unfortunately." She said and looked from her future daughter to her girlfriend, currently sparring with Venus.

~~~~******~~~~

Mars smiled as she blocked a jab thrown at her by her friend. She held her fist in place as she spoke, "You're not going to land a blow if you keep telegraphing your moves."

Venus laughed lightly, "I'm just lulling you into a false sense of security." She said and tried to pull her hand out of Mars' grip, but wasn't entirely successful.

"Is that what you're trying to do?" Mars asked pushing her friend back a little, more to see if she'd let her or try to stop her. She allowed herself to be a moved back a little too easily, in Mars' opinion, but she was still curious what the other girl had planned in this situation. She didn't have to wait long as Venus grabbed her wrist with her free hand and twisted her hand enough to cause discomfort for the brunette and making her loosen her hold.

As soon as she was free, Venus leapt over Mars so that she was behind her and quickly moved to grab the other girl, but Mars ducked and swept her legs out from under her, sending Venus to the ground. Venus grunted in frustration and rubbed her bum with a frown, "When did you grow eyes behind your back?"

Mars extended her arm to the other girl, who took it a moment later, "It's a secret." She said once her friend was on her feet again.

Venus dusted off the back of her skirt as she spoke again, "Really Rei, it was like you could see what I was going to do there."

Mars sighed after a moment, "It's…it's hard to explain…"

"Why don't you try me?"

A smiled passed Mars lips a moment later, "If you can land a blow, I'll tell you." She said and reentered her fighting stance.

"Fine. No holding back now." Venus said quickly and entered her own stance.

"I thought you weren't going to hold back before?" Mars asked with a laugh in her voice.

Venus was sure her cheeks were red as she could clearly feel their warmth, "Shut up." Venus said finally, not thinking of something better to say at that moment.

Mars smiled as Venus charged her, throwing a punch with her right hand, followed quickly by one from her left hand, but Mars blocked both, her grin getting larger each time. She recalled how even Venus and her always were in terms of fighting. It felt exhilarating to go a round or two with her again, she didn't realize how this would feel until now, but it made her only happier to have come up with this idea. When she saw Venus preparing a kick she performed a backflip to avoid it, landing a few feet away.

Venus let out a huff in exasperation, "Are you even going to attempt to counter?"

"Sorry Minako, I was enjoying myself just the same." Mars said lightly. "I should give you the opportunity to counter me though." Mars said and began to charge Venus, but stopped in her tracks only a moment later and looked around quickly, frowning slightly.

Venus looked around as well, but couldn't help being confused as she asked, "Wha…?"

Mars raised her hand, silently asking her not to speak. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the location of the dark energy she felt, but with all her friends sparring around her it wasn't very easy to focus. "Everyone! Stop!" Her voice seemed to get everyone's attention as it quickly as it became silent, which allowed her to more easily focus on the energy she felt. She looked to her right, "There's more than one…and they're close." She opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her.

"What is it, Rei?" Moon asked quickly as she ran up to her girlfriend. She'd clearly transformed at some point before running over, along with Hotaru.

"Something with very dark auras just appeared out of nowhere. We need to meet them before they find us. Otherwise, we'll compromise your home." Mars stated, looking at the Outers as she finished.

"Where are they?" Venus asked quickly.

"They're…" Mars started to say when an explosion nearby cut her off.

"I guess that answers that question." Uranus said a moment later.

"Should Chibi-Usa stay here?" Moon asked as she looked from her girlfriend to her daughter and back again.

Mars closed her eyes for a moment before sighing audibly, "No, they're too close. If they have anyone that can sense auras…" She trailed for a second before adding, "She'll be safer with us." She didn't like either option really, but with everyone together that meant she had more people to keep her safe.

Uranus and Neptune looked at each other before looking to the newly transformed Saturn. Their conversation from a few nights ago on each of their thoughts, as they each gave each other faintest of nods.

Mars knelt beside her future daughter, "I need you to do your best to stay out of sight, okay?" The pink haired girl nodded her head quickly at the request, causing Mars to smile briefly and glance at Saturn before locking eyes with her daughter again, "Stay close to Hotaru until we find these guys, then hide wherever you can." She said and pulled the pink haired girl into a hug, "No matter what, I won't let anything happen to you." She whispered before letting her go and standing up fully again. She walked over to Sailor Moon and touched her back lightly, "We need to find these guys." She said seriously.

Sailor Moon nodded and turned to look at the rest of the girls, "Hopefully we'll have some element of surprise. Everyone stay together though, I don't want them trying to separate us. We're strongest together." Everyone agreed with those statements. Moon nodded and took a deep breath, "Let's go." She said and the group began to run toward the tall fence surrounding the Outer's home.

Saturn didn't move immediately, so neither did Chibi-Usa. The solider of silence wanted a small buffer between the rest of the girls and her. The dark haired girl looked at her friend, "If you'll allow me Princess…"

The other girl seemed to be lost in thought, until she was spoken to, but she recovered a moment later, "Y-Yes, please."

Saturn nodded and picked the pink haired girl up effortlessly. Chibi-Usa held on to the dark haired girl's neck and buried her face into her shoulder; she could feel the miasma surrounding the area quickly. She knew that she wasn't as attuned as her mama, so the fact that she could almost feel it so heavy around her, she knew it was not a good sign. She gripped Saturn's fuku tightly as she spoke, "Please hurry Taru-chan."

Whatever made themselves known, they were dangerous…

End Ch.18

~~~~******~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure someone out there might be thinking that all of these reveals to parents and guardians have gone a little too well in what is still a mostly conservative country of Japan, but I took each character in mind when I wrote each of these. I don't believe Ami's mother, Rei's grandfather, or Usagi's mother would react poorly to them telling them about their relationships. Usagi's mother was purposely made to be the most surprised, as until recently Usagi was involved with Mamoru. While a lot of time has taken place between my writings, only a little more than a week has gone by since Usagi and Rei officially got together in the timeline of the story. I will say that there is a reaction or two still to come and don't expect everyone to be thrilled…
> 
> If you liked this update, or even if you didn't please take a moment to leave a review. They are always appreciated, I promise.
> 
> Finally a big thank you to doggysmoo for Beta-ing this again! Thank you!


	19. The Darkness Within

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 19 – The Darkness Within  
~~~~******~~~~

As they approached the plume of smoke, things felt wrong. Rei could still feel the dark auras around the area, but no one was making themselves known. She didn't like that one bit. She looked around to all her friends, "Be alert, this reeks of a trap."

"Something definitely feels off." Uranus agreed.

Mars looked around carefully when they reached the smoldering car. 'That explains the explosion, but where are they?' She thought when her eyes caught something sticking out of the ground. She slowly walked toward to get a better look. As she stepped up to it she could see it was not of this world, as it gave off an energy. The top of it looked like an old styled lantern, atop a spike.

"They are here somewhere. We need to find them." Venus said to the group.

Mars looked around once again, but with purpose this time, in search of more of these objects. After a couple moments she spotted at few more around the area, 'These need to have something to do with why they are hiding.'

"What is…"

Mars looked over and saw her friend was reaching out to one of the objects. "Jupiter! Don't…!" Mars yelled and sprinted towards her friend, but she didn't reach her in time to stop her from touching the foreign object. Almost immediately the object began to pulse with energy. She grabbed Jupiter's arm and pulled her away from the object. No sooner than she was pulled away is when everyone felt a shockwave from the object. Being closest to it, both Mars and Jupiter were thrown back, though in different directions. Jupiter was thrown towards the rest of girls, while Mars was pushed into the opposite direction, away from everyone and into the side of a nearby car.

"Mars!" Moon called to the other girl.

Mars groaned as she collided with the metal door, but her girlfriend calling to her caught her attention. She could see all the lantern like objects glowing a bright blue and a moment later all of them seemed to connect, forming some kind of perimeter around everyone else. She pushed herself up and ran back to everyone, but as soon as she reached where the strange objects were connected, she was thrown back. She hit the street near the same car she had struck a couple seconds ago.

"Rei!"

She heard her girlfriend call to her again and grimaced as she pulled herself to her feet again. She could see Uranus was holding back Moon from approaching the same energy field that knocked her back. A moment later there was another pulse from the objects again but this time the energy seemed to be expanding from them, closing her off from everyone. She looked around for a moment before coming up with an idea, "Destroy those things before they finish whatever they are doing!" She called to everyone, even as she was already pulling back the invisible sting to her bow.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Even as Mars' arrow flew at its target, the other girls were preparing their own attacks, but as Mars did hers first it struck its target first except it didn't have the desired effect. Rather than destroying the object the attack appeared to be absorbed by it. A moment later the energy connecting all the spikes, changed as well, as it became more tangible, like it was solidifying. 'Damn it.' Mars thought and ran up to it again, but this time she wasn't thrown back when she reached it. The barrier was virtually clear but it was certainly there. Even though the barrier was clear, there was something happening on the other side that was making things harder to see what was going on with everyone else.

The other side of the barrier was quickly becoming barely visible, there looked to be a blizzard going on, obscuring almost everything. Whatever was happening wasn't natural, it was late May, so not the time for snow. She saw someone's hand was pressed against whatever was separating her, but the hand quickly moved away when Mars saw a flash of blue on the other side. Mars pounded on the wall the separated her from everyone else. The clear barrier didn't budge, but as she struck the surface she realized it was incredibly cold. She stopped punching it and simply placed her hand on it. She moved her hand against the surface and once she did, she could immediately feel its coldness and wetness, 'Ice…if that's the case…' She took a step back and pointed her hand towards it.

"Mars Flame…"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The voice that interrupted her attack phrase came from behind her, making her pause. She looked over her shoulder and saw a strange looking man with green and yellow streaked hair. She lowered her hands and turned around fully, the feeling she got off him made her certain that he deserved her full attention. He definitely held one of the strong dark auras she felt earlier. "I don't know who you are, but you will not lay one finger on my daughter."

"The name is Heliodor, your Majesty." He said bowing formally afterwards. "And I look forward to beating you and dragging your daughter back with me by her pretty little pink head."

Mars clenched her fists tightly at her sides before entering her battle stance, "Over my dead body."

"If it must be." He said and threw his hands out to the side, where two green whip-like instruments formed in his hands.

'I guess he isn't a close combat fighter…' She thought to herself and waited for him to make the first move, as she was sure his weapons were more than they appeared. Still as she kept her eyes on him, she glanced back to where everyone else was, only to see it was completely obscured. It seemed that she was separated from everyone on purpose, she wasn't exactly sure why that was, but she'd take care of this guy and destroy that barrier after.

* * *

Sailor Moon ran up to the barrier cutting her off from Rei and quickly tried to figure out what it was. She immediately figured out it was solid, not an energy based barrier, like the one Saturn could create. 'It's cold too, as though it were made of…' Her inspection was cut off by Uranus.

"Watch out!" Uranus yelled and stepped in front of Moon, her Talisman raised above her head.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Uranus swung her sword down, causing multiple arc shaped energy blasts to sail out of her sword. Her attack collided with the blue energy blast heading towards the Moon Princess. Her attack shred the oncoming attack when it met it in midair.

"We've got to get Rei…" Moon began to say when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Venus beside her.

"We will, but I think we have some things to deal with on this side too." Venus said seriously.

"Besides." Uranus said before looking around briefly, "Saturn isn't on this side either, she isn't without back up."

Moon nodded, though she still really didn't like the idea of Rei being separated from them, she was confident in Rei's abilities, but she would still feel better having her with her.

"This isn't natural. Someone is trying to reduce our visibility." Mercury said and pointed at a shadowy shape in the distance, but it was becoming harder and harder to see. "They aren't alone either." She added and mentally counted the other figures she could see, "I count at least twenty more with the one creating this blizzard."

"If I didn't try to touch that stupid thing…" Jupiter mumbled, annoyed that she put everyone in this position.

Moon looked at her friend, "It could have been anyone, don't blame yourself." Jupiter nodded slightly at her friend's assurance.

"We need to stay close to each other!" Venus told everyone. "I wouldn't be surprised if they will attempt to separate all of us."

"It didn't seem like we had much room in the confines of this to begin with, but staying close to each other is definitely for the best." Uranus stated, agreeing with the other girl.

"We had better come up with some kind of plan quickly, because they are coming this way." Mercury said as she watched the figures grow closer with her visor.

* * *

Mars glanced one more time at the icy barrier, it would have to wait until she dealt with him. She sighed softly and balled her hands into fists, "You had better be able to back up your words because one way or another, I'm going to break down that thing and get to everyone else."

"We'll see about that." Heliodor stated and swung his arm at Mars a moment later.

Mars dove to the left, making the whip miss her, slamming into the ground harmlessly. She watched the impact it made though, so she could see there was some strong force behind the attack. She brought her hands together and called upon her powers.

"Fire Soul!"

The ball of fire flew true, at least until he swung his other whip at the ball, sending it to the ground in front of himself, effectively leaving himself unharmed. Mars groaned but didn't waste a moment as she sprinted at him, sidestepping another swipe of his weapon, but as quickly as she dodged it he swung at her again with his other hand. Mars quickly darted to the right this time, letting the weapon hit the ground near her. 'Does he really think he can beat me fighting like this?' She questioned herself. 'He'd better do more than swing wildly at me.' She thought when she realized a moment later that it wasn't just him and her any longer. She barely had time to shield her face before a fist came at her. While she protected herself, she was still thrown back from the enemy she'd nearly reached. She landed in a crouch and quickly looked around to see who else she needed to deal with.

"Sorry for my tardiness, sir." The new arrival said and bowed.

Mars looked at the other man dressed in black, standing beside the other man. "It's never a fair fight is it?" Mars asked no in particular as she stood back up. She dusted off her skirt before reentering her stance looking at both of her opponents, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Fairness is hardly a quality your kind shares."

"You presume much, your Highness." Heliodor stated and looked at his companion a moment later, giving him a quick nod. As soon as he acknowledged the direction, he charged Mars, though this time she wasn't blindsided, so she was confident that she could handle whatever he had to throw at her.

She watched him get closer and it became clear that he was the opposite kind of fighter as the other one; he was more of a close combat fighter. She quickly blocked a punch and countered a moment later with one of her own, but he appeared to expect that as he leaned away from her fist and spun around, getting behind her. He reached out in an effort to grab her from behind, but Mars quickly crouched down and swept her leg at her opponent's, knocking him off his feet. She stood up full again and began to approach her downed opponent when she felt a sharp pain across her thigh, dropping her to one knee.

Mars looked to her left and saw a flash of green retreating from her. She looked down at her leg and saw a large red welt across her thigh. 'Damn it, I almost forgot about him.' She grimaced as she moved to stand up again.

The one dressed in black got back on to his feet in the meantime and quickly became aware of her discomfort, so he decided to use that to his advantage. He walked up behind her and raised his hand. As he prepared to bring it down he saw a glint of something metallic out of the corner of his eye, causing him to stop his initial movement and jump back just before the blade slashed through the spot he would have been.

Mars turned her head and looked up to see Saturn lifting her weapon from the ground, "Saturn." She stated simply, but even as she spoke her eyes darted around, searching for any sign of pink hair.

"I guess it's good that I hung back a little." She said and held her hand out to help Mars to her feet again.

She took the offered hand and once she was standing fully, she turned around so that they were back to back. After a moment she whispered, "Where is she?"

"Hidden, I promise." Saturn replied just as quietly.

Mars nodded slightly before again whispering, "Thanks." With that settled in her mind, she now took the time to look at their two enemies, "Will you be alright on your own?"

It only took her a moment to answer, "I will be fine, but what about you? Should I heal your leg first?"

Mars shook her head, "I don't think we'll be given the time to do that. I'll be fine." Two against two definitely made this easier. She tested her leg carefully a moment later. It felt better so she was satisfied with her mobility, though it would probably be best to avoid sudden movements if she could avoid them. "Take care of the one in black." As soon as the instructions left her lips felt Saturn run off, but she didn't look as her eyes focused on the one that called himself as Heliodor. She quickly pulled back the string of a flaming bow and let loose a flaming arrow.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

It seemed that he knew better than to try and deflect this attack as he ran to his right to avoid it. At the same time, he swung his whip out again, forcing Mars to dive out of the way. She flinched slightly and nearly grabbed her leg, but she certainly didn't want to show him any weakness. She simply pressed on and rolled into another attack.

"Burning Mandala!"

She called out her attack and watched as several balls of fire shot at him, but he simply kept running from each of the attacks, each one striking the ground behind him, none actually connecting with their target. 'He's fast.' Mars thought and watched him a moment longer, realizing what he was trying to do. He was circling her, likely trying to get behind her. There was no reason to let him know that she knew what he was doing though so she remained crouched as she watched him. He hadn't tried to hit her with his weapons again, since his first move, so she knew something was coming. 'I'll just react when he does.' She thought and saw him pick up his pace until he made it behind her and swung his whip out.

'That's it…' She thought and nearly sighed at how unimaginative he was. Mars tried to push off her leg, but found herself stumbling a little at the sudden use of her injured leg. Before she could right herself she felt his weapon coil around her midsection, pinning her arms to her body. She cursed inwardly and tried to break free, but when she did she immediately felt what very thorns or spikes extend from the weapon and pierce her skin. She hissed in pain and dropped to her knees.

Heliodor took a couple steps closer, satisfied that he'd affectively restrained her, "Brute strength won't help you." He said with a smile.

"Mama!"

The voice drew Heliodor's attention away from Mars, as he looked over his shoulder to see the reason he was in this damn fight to begin with. He didn't expect that she would out herself, like she did, but that didn't matter, he couldn't let this golden opportunity pass him by. He had Mars controlled so now was a more perfect opening than he could have hoped for.

Mars stared wide eyed at her daughter standing out in the open, taking Heliodor's attention away from her.  _'Are you going to let him kill your daughter?'_  She cursed as the barbs on the whip dug deeper into her as she struggled to free herself. She saw him raise his free hand above his head pointing it at her daughter.  _'He's going to kill her.'_  Mars closed her eyes and balled her hands into tight fists, 'Just a little, that's all I need. _' 'Ha Ha Ha Ha.'_  She opened her eyes and as she did, they flashed something different, something dark, "The Hell you will!" She yelled as she again tried to free herself, but this time, she ripped through the whip binding her and immediately ran to get between him and the pink haired girl. It was surprisingly easy to get to her destination, even before he could completely bring his arm down.

"You dare to strike at my daughter!" Mars yelled as she caught the whip her hand. "And these things are becoming annoying!"

Heliodor gasped in surprise as he knew the barbs on the whip had to be cutting into her hand, but that was only part of his shock as a moment later he was forced to drop his weapon as it burned his hand. No sooner than he'd dropped it then it went up in flames.

Mars threw the still burning object to the ground and charged him. He had no defense this time, Saturn had his accomplice occupied and he had no more weapons, so she was confident he was going down this time. She shot her hand out and threw a cone of fire him to see what he would do. It didn't exactly surprise her to see him run away, veering off to the right. She quickly shot another cone of fire just ahead of where he was running to, making him freeze in place, which allow Mars to finally get within arm's reach.

After looking around for a couple seconds, Mars smiled, "Nothing to protect you this time." She reached back and punched him squarely in the side of the head. He stumbled a little in the direction the punch sent him, but he didn't quite fall as Mars grabbed him by the collar. "Is that really all you have? Are you going to be done it by a single punch?" She asked before driving her fist into his stomach. She let go of him and watched him drop to the ground, clutching his stomach and coughing. "Pathetic." She brought her hand back once more and held it there for a couple seconds, feeling the heat buildup around it.

_'That's it…finish him, make him burn!'_

Mars looked at her hand for a moment and forced the flames to disappear. 'If that's what you want, I'm not doing it.' She thought and saw him try to get up once more, so she brought her hand back and punched him solidly on the jaw, knocking him out. 'Fool!' She ignored the voice as it got quieter and quieter, before looking over to Saturn to see her walking over; clearly not needing any help from her, so she turned her attention back to her daughter. She could see that the pink haired girl looked like she was in shock, but she needed to know that what she did was unacceptable. She slowly walked over to her until she was standing right in front of her.

"You can't put yourself in jeopardy like that." Mars said seriously as she looked over the pink haired girl. She didn't think he reached her with any attack, but she needed to be sure.

Chibi-Usa's eyes watered as she looked at the cuts on her Mama's arms, "But Mama…he…he…w-was…" She stopped when she felt hands on her cheeks, wiping away any wetness, causing her to look up at her future mother.

"It's fine. I'm sorry you got so worried that you felt you needed to put yourself in such danger." She said and almost moved to hug her, but hesitated when she realized getting blood all over her daughter probably wasn't the best thing to do at the moment, so she settled for placing her hands on her shoulders, "You can't do that, no matter what…you can't."

Chibi-Usa really wanted to protest further because if the same thing happened in front of her again, she wouldn't let her get hurt no matter the danger she put herself in during the process. She knew logically that she didn't have the power to protect her parents, but that wouldn't stop her in the future. Still she knew that wasn't what her Mama wanted to hear from her, so she chose to simply nod her head.

Mars wasn't foolish, she didn't really believe her halfhearted nod, but it wasn't something she could press her on, at least not at the moment. She needed to get to Usagi and everyone else, but she couldn't just accept her conceding, "You lie about as well as Usagi, which isn't very good." She said softly, but still made Chibi-usa give her, her full attention. "Let me handle this. When everything is done, I'll teach you somethings that don't require you to transform." She said and squeezed her shoulders lightly, "Until then, you need to stay safe."

The pink haired girl nodded her head again, but this time she added, "I will."

"Thank you." Mars said with a small smile, before turning around to see standing Saturn right behind her. She looked over the girl for a moment, happy to see the younger girl looked uninjured, so she got down to business, "We need to bring down that damn, barrier."

"Allow me. You've already expended a lot of energy." Saturn said softly and approached the barrier, holding her weapon above her head.

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

Saturn swung down her Silence Glaive, a bright purple light came from the blade as it collided with the wall. There was an audible cracking noise, but the barrier didn't completely crumble, so Saturn brought her weapon back once more before swinging it down with authority. That seemed to do the trick as the large crack she'd already made got larger and larger until the entire thing began to shatter. They could hear fighting as soon the ice barrier started to fall, so Mars rushed forward even before everything crumbled down, her destination already known in her mind.

The noise drew everyone's attention that was inside as well, including the creatures, even as they fought off. Sailor Senshi all seemed to be overjoyed by the turn of events, while their opponents all seemed confused as to what was going on. The crumbling ice dome seemed to aid the Sailor Senshi two fold, as the visibility seemed to be getting better by the second.

Moon had Neptune and Uranus on either side, both Outer guardians holding their talismans, while Moon pointed her Kaleidoscope at a creature charging her. Before she could speak her attack, a flaming arrow imbedded itself into the side of the creature's neck, before engulfing him into flames a moment later. Moon looked into the direction the arrow came from and smiled happily when she saw Mars running towards her, but frowned a moment later seeing the amount of blood on her arms and her midsection. She ran to meet her halfway and once she was closer, she got a better look at her injuries, "What happened? Are you okay?"

Mars was about to answer her when she saw another youma running at them. She quickly grabbed her girlfriend and pulled her to her body with one hand while her other pointed at the creature, but before she could conjure any flames the youma fell to the ground, with a sword sticking out of his back.

"Maybe we should save this til we've finished off these guys?" Uranus said with a raise eyebrow before pulling her talisman out of the creature, swinging it to the side to clean it of the youma's blood.

"Right." Mars said simply and looked at Moon for a second, squeezing her hand lightly and running after Uranus to join everyone else, not letting go of her girlfriend's hand though. As soon as they reached everyone, there seemed to be a lull in the youma's attack.

"They can't sneak up on us anymore, now that we can see them coming." Venus explained. "I don't think they know what to do anymore."

"Can you tell who the leader is now?" Jupiter asked turning to her girlfriend.

Mercury quickly began typing on her mini super computer, but before sure could say anything Mars was pointing one towards the back, "The one with the spiky blue hair."

"Th-that's right." Mercury said a moment later, confirming the other girl's statement.

"Let's cut off the head then." Uranus said calmly and held her talisman above her head.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

The arced blades sailed towards their target, but the blue haired "woman" looked completely disinterested even as the attack got closer. And it seemed she had reason to be because just before the attack could find its mark, no fewer than three of the creatures around her jumped in front of her and took the blasts themselves.

She ran her hand through her hair and appeared to sigh before raising her hands into the air, "I know when I'm outnumbered! Perhaps we'll meet again!" She called over to the group of girls. She clapped her hands together, before saying, "We're done here…for now." As soon as the words left her lips, all the youma with her began to sleek back without needing to be told twice.

The Sailor Senshi looked at each other, clearly confused by the sudden change. Mars let go of Moon's hand and took a couple steps forward as the blue haired woman turned to walk away, "That's it? You're just going to leave?"

She stopped and looked over her shoulder, "I deal in analytics your highness, so I know the outcome if remain here now. I will not fight a losing battle unless I am so ordered, so until that time, I will take my leave." She said and continued walking.

Mars continued to watch her, still not quite believing her, if she could even call her a  _her_ , feeling the dark energy she radiated made her seriously doubt there was anything human about her. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her arm that her eyes left the woman walking away.

"These look painful Rei." Moon said softly.

Mars turned around to face her Princess, "They look worse than they are." She said quietly, trying not to make a big deal about it, but her girlfriend was having none of that.

"Rei, don't…" Moon started to say, but was cut off by another before she could finish.

"Mama! Mother!"

Chibi-Usa came running over to her future parents, with Saturn following closely behind her. She hadn't seen her fight, so she was glad that when she got closer, she could see that she wasn't harmed, if only her Mama would have been as lucky. She couldn't even look at her arms, instead she focused on their faces, "I'm glad…." Her words died in her throat though as she felt the same foreboding presence she felt earlier. She focused on her Mama, "We need to leave!"

Mars was about to speak when she felt it to, but she knew there was no leaving. She moved in front of the pink haired girl and Moon, staring at where they'd just come from, where Heliodor still lay on the ground. "This isn't over." Mars said seriously and loud enough for all her friends to hear.

"Tsk…Tsk….Tsk…Tsk…"

A tall pink haired man appeared a moment later behind the injured Heliodor. "I thought I'd see for myself…the fruits of this alliance." He said and looked around at the virtual defeat of his comrades. "I must say, I am unimpressed." He said and poked at the man on the ground with his foot. "I'll give you that your planning was sound, but it's your execution that's the problem." He said and kicked what was likely his own comrade.

Heliodor groan and looked to see who was standing over him. "Morganite!" Heliodor yelled through gritted teeth. He said the name as one would say swear word.

"You may leave; I'll clean up your mess." He said and stared down Heliodor until he disappeared.

Chibi-Usa had heard that name before and hearing it now made her chest tighten, causing her breathing to become ragged. She backed away further, until she collided with Sailor Moon. The blonde put her arms protectively around the smaller girl.

At the pink haired girl's sharp intake of air, he looked over to her, "I see you know who I am, Princess. My name precedes me then. And if you know my name you'll know there's no point in struggling anymore." All the senshi strategically positioned themselves in front of the future Princess as soon as he finished. "All of you would be smart and stand aside; I only came here for the brat." He said calmly, completely undeterred by the protection they were offering.

"We won't let you lay one finger on her." Mars yelled at the pink haired man.

The man smiled, "I expected nothing less from you, Your Highness." He said and bowed mockingly before quickly pointing his hand at the group. As soon as his hand was extended a bright light emitted from his hand and flew at the group.

"Silence Wall!"

The attack collided loudly with Saturn's barrier, but it did its job and protected everyone. Even after the attack ended, Saturn didn't bring down her barrier. She didn't know what this man was capable of, but she wasn't going to risk anything. Her barrier wasn't invincible though, she knew that, but she had to bank on him being unaware.

"That's a strong defense, but I'm sure you can't maintain that forever." He said confidently before pointing his hand at the group again.

All the girls looked at Saturn for confirmation, but it became pretty clear as she winced slightly as another attack hit her shield. "He's right isn't he?" Neptune asked gently.

Saturn winced again as another attack hit her shield, "He's not wrong. A few more hit is about all it can take. The larger the shield the less damage it can take." She winced once more after she explained.

"Then make it smaller." Mars said simply. "Just make it big enough to protect yourself and Chibi-Usa. The rest of us will get rid of him."

The pink haired girl immediately responded to that, "You can't! He's…he's too strong!"

"I promised you that I would keep you safe and that's exactly what I'm going to do right now." Mars said seriously and looked at Saturn a second later, "Do it."

The youngest senshi nodded and lowered her Silence Glaive, dispelling the barrier before reaching for Chibi-Usa and brining her closer to herself. She was about to raise her weapon in the air again, when the pink haired man spoke again.

"Why don't you just come with me Princess and make this easier for everyone? I'd rather not waste my energy here."

"She's not going anywhere with you." Moon said in return.

He looked over the line of Sailor Senshi standing between him and the Princess before laughing, "All of your abilities have been measured…none of you can challenge me. Do yourselves a favor and hand the girl over peacefully. If you do that, I'll leave here and none of you will have to die."

"The only one dying here today will be you." Mars stated angrily. She didn't wait for him to respond before summoning her flame bow to her hands.

"Mars Flame Sniper"

The fire arrow flew towards its target, but he still looked unimpressed. He didn't even appear to move as the arrow seemed to pass right through him and hit the building behind him.

"What?!" Mars asked in surprise, but she couldn't get another word out as he disappeared a moment later, only to appear in front of Mars.

"I told you, you are outmatched." He said and pointed his hand at the raven haired senshi. His hand began to glow brightly a second later, Mars barely had time to raise her arms up and give herself some protection when she was struck by the nearly blinding energy blast. Mars was immediately sent back into a light post across the street, knocking the metal post down as if it were nothing.

Everyone seemed to get their bearings as Moon and Mercury both ran over to see if Mars was okay while Uranus swung her Space Sword at the man, but he simply caught the blade in his hand, while on his other side, he blocked a punch from Jupiter with his other hand. While he was occupied with her two friends Venus pointed her hand at him, before calling out her attack.

"Crescent Beam!"

The concentrated energy beam had barely left her fingers when he disappeared once again, causing both Jupiter and Uranus to stumble slightly. Every looked around to see where he went off to, when he appeared near Saturn and Chibi-Usa, causing the pink haired girl to grab on to the back of the senshi's fuku. He was already reaching out when he heard someone say something behind him.

"Submarine Reflection!"

Neptune held her talisman in front of herself, having just summoned her attack, but again it failed to hit its mark, instead colliding with Saturn's barrier. He looked at the avatar of Neptune and glared, "Annoyances. All of you are." He said and walked back toward the four senshi actively engaging him.

* * *

By the time Moon and Mercury reached Mars, she was already getting up, but a hand on her shoulder stalled her. She looked up to see concern swirling in Moon's cerulean eyes, so she didn't argue with the other girl immediately about her stopping her from getting up.

"Let Mercury look over you first." Moon said seriously.

Mars looked at her blue haired friend and saw her already typing on to the device in her hand, but brought her attention back to her girlfriend quickly, "I need to get back there." She could see the other girl was going to argue so she spoke up before she could, "That man, whatever he is, is different. He is much stronger than those creatures we were just fighting."

Mercury looked up from her computer to her dark haired friend and back again before speaking, "These readings…why am I getting similar readings to…?"

"Don't worry about it." Mars said quickly cutting the other girl off before she could finish. She abruptly stood up, "I'm not going to let him hurt anyone I care about." She said before sprinting off.

Moon watched her girlfriend for a second, but focused her friend, "What were you going say, Ami?" She asked softly

She looked down at her computer once more as if she was checking the results again, before focusing on the Moon Princess, "Rei, her energy is reading very similar to him." She explained, looking at the man attacking them.

Sailor Moon turned back to see her girlfriend already reengaging their enemy, "Rei…"

* * *

As Mars reached the battle again, she could see her friends needed the back up. He seemed to be mostly toying with all of them, so as soon as she was close enough she leapt into the air and threw a punch at the side of his face, but he blocked the blow with ease.

"You are slow." He said quietly and reared back his free hand causing Mars' eyes to widen.

She shielded her face with her forearm, but still felt herself being pushed back from the force of the blow. She landed smoothly in front her other friends. She looked to her left and right, taking stock of their conditions. She was relieved that while they certainly seemed tired, they didn't seem to be severely hurt thankfully.

"I knew that if I were simply allowed to assault the palace head on, things would be over. This only proves that to be true!" He said, laughing at the end. "Perhaps it's time that I got serious." He said and a moment later he appeared behind Mars. He immediately pointed his hand at them and barely a moment later his hand began to glow and an explosion occurred, knocking all four girls back.

"Damn it." Mars cursed as she spun around, swinging an elbow at him in the process. He simply leaned away from the attempted strike, but followed with his own fist to the side of Mars' head, knocking her to the ground. He quickly kicked her in her midsection before she had the opportunity to get back up. She grunted in pain when his foot connected with her side, without any protection she was pretty sure he broke at least couple ribs. Her instincts told her to grab her side, but she didn't want to show him that he'd injured her.

Shaking his head, Morganite stated, "Always so over confident." He began to walk over to Mars again when he heard someone shout something.

"Crescent Beam!"

He stopped and leaned his head out of the way, allowing the energy beam to sail passed him. He looked over to the group and pointed his hand at them again, as he had done earlier.

"No!" Mars said and though it probably wasn't the best idea, she quickly got up. She charged him with every intention of knocking him out, doing anything to stop him, but before she could even attempt to land a blow, he swatted his arm out and knocked her back to the ground. She didn't even have the time to protect herself as she hit the hard cement of the street, making her lose her bearings for a moment.

Moon looked at Mars and then to the enemy threatening them, everything they've thrown at him had been ineffective so far and if that didn't change all them would be in danger. She summoned her Moon Kaleidoscope to her hand a moment later, 'We need to stop him and I can't let Rei try to do everything on her own.' She thought and took a couple steps forward, gripping her Kaleidoscope tighter. He was still distracted by Rei, so now was the best opportunity to attack.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

As soon as she called out her attack, his attention shifted to her, but he didn't make any move to run or get out of the way, in fact he seemed to smile even as the attack closed in on him. The only movement he made was to lift his arms and protect his face a moment before being struck. The entire area filled with a bright light for a few seconds, so no one could tell what happened initially, at least until boisterous laughter soon filled everyone's ears.

Everyone looked on in complete shock as Morganite walked forward, laughing like a crazy person. As his laughter died down he spoke again, "That actually singed me a little."

"It's not possible…" Jupiter murmured almost inaudibly.

"He shrugged off Sailor Moon's strongest attack…" Venus stated in shock.

Sailor Moon looked over her shoulder, "Run! Run away from here, Chib…!" She stopped abruptly when Morganite appeared right in front of her, seemingly teleporting himself to that spot.

"Be silent." He said quietly and pointed his palm at Moon's chest.

"Usagi! Get away…!" Mars yelled as she tried reach her girlfriend. She'd barely taken a step when a bright flash emitted from the man's hand. A moment later Sailor Moon was sent flying backwards into the building along the street. Mars dropped to her knees when she saw Sailor Moon collide with the building's exterior wall, at first only causing a hole but it was only a matter of seconds before that whole wall collapsed. "Get Usagi out of that building before it completely collapses!" Mars ordered the other senshi. A part of her wanted to help her girlfriend, but she knew if she took her eyes off of him, he would go after her daughter and she absolutely couldn't allow that to happen. She squeezed her hands into tight fists as her anger was nearing its boiling point. She could almost hear a voice in the back of her head egging her on,  _'You have the power to stop him, you simply have to let go and use it_.'

"Does that mean you've given up?" Morganite asked with a laugh.

"…You!" Mars hissed angrily as she glared at the scum in front of her. "I'll make you pay!" Mars yelled as she stood up fully. She felt the walls she'd built up to restrain that nearly overwhelming dark energy she still felt in herself crumpling down. She didn't care at the moment though. She allowed her anger consume her, it would give her strength and that was all she cared about…she'd deal with the consequences afterwards. Morganite stared at Mars and at that moment he knew something was different about her. This was something he didn't know she possessed and every instinct in his body told him ran away, he'd never run from anyone, but he could practically feel the dark energy pouring out of the senshi.

Mars closed her eyes briefly, feeling that foreign, evil energy flow through her. She could already feel that this was a horrible mistake, but she was too far gone already and for the time being, she'd use every means she had to incinerate that bastard for hurting Usagi and going after her daughter, there was no turning back. She flexed her fingers for moment before she clenched them into tight fists and after a few seconds an intense heat building in them. Her eyes shot open as she pointed her right hand at her target.

Morganite's eyes widened at the cone of fire sailing straight at him. He didn't have much time to react, but as was often the case when ever felt himself cornered he, called upon his speed to get him to safety.

"You think your speed will save you?" Mars questioned as her eyes darted from right to left as she tracked his ridiculous speed. After a moment she sprinted forward around ten yards and shot out her arm, seemingly at thin air, but when she did, she had grabbed Morganite by his throat. Her grip tightened causing him to gasp for air, but Mars ignored him and pulled him closer to her face. Before she focused her attention completely on him and whispered, "It won't." She tightened her hold a little more before slamming him into the street, leaving a small crater in the aftermath.

Mars finally released his throat and took a couple steps back, watching him as he coughed and groaned in pain. She cocked her head to side slightly before smiling and pointing at him in her normal stance she used for her flame sniper attack, "I could end it all now if I so chose to, you know?" She said and pulled back the invisible string on her flaming bow. She held her stance for several seconds before shifting where she was aiming and releasing the string. The flaming arrow hit the concrete and exploded near his shoulder, burning through the leather like material and scorching the flesh beneath, causing him to cry out in pain. "You said none could challenge you." Mars said and flipped away from him, "So show me your power then, so that I may crush it."

Morganite gritted his teeth as he forced himself into a standing position once more, 'Where did all this power come from?' He thought to himself. He looked around a moment later, it seemed that none remained to assist him, not that he expected them to stay around. Everything was well in hand just a short time ago and he needed to get the advantage again, or things could go down fast. His eyes fixated on the group of girls behind Mars, more specifically to his target for coming here in the first place. A moment later he dashed forward, 'If I can't compete with her at the moment, I'll use the Princess to my advantage.' He thought as he ran.

"Pathetic. I told you already, your speed won't help you." She said as she tracked his movement until she suddenly turned towards where the other Sailor Senshi had gathered, "You really think I'd let you involve anyone else in this!" She yelled and sprinted after him.

* * *

Sailor Moon was helped into a sitting position by Venus. She kept her hand on her back, as she didn't appear to be completely steady at the moment.

Moon sat there for a few moments, staring at Mars fighting. Something didn't feel right. She wasn't quite sure what it was at the moment, but she knew there was something off about her girlfriend. She'd somehow turned the tables on him and while that should have been a good thing, something to be happy about, she knew that wasn't the case. It suddenly struck her why she felt so concerned about what she was watching. She could feel it and there was no mistaking that it was that same energy, "That's not Rei…"

"What?" Venus asked and turned to Moon quickly, when she did she saw the other girl attempting to get up slowly. She quickly moved to support the other girl, Moon smiled her thanks.

"You shouldn't be getting up yet. You might have a concussion." Mercury stated in a doctor like tone.

Moon shook her head slightly, "I have to stop Rei."

"Why? She's actually beating that bastard…"

Moon turned sharply to Uranus, "That's not the point! If she continues fighting like that…" She paused and took a deep breath, "I need to stop her."

"What is it?" Venus asked gently.

Moon turned away from Mars for a moment to address her blonde friend, "When Rei came back to us, she came with the dark energy Kei imbued her with. I'm afraid that she is using that right now, and I know no good will come of it because I know what she's feeling right now. And what will happen if that energy isn't contained again." She said and began to walk in the direction of Mars again.

"We'll come with you then." Uranus said and walked up behind the Moon Princess, followed closely by Neptune.

Moon stopped and looked back at her friends before shaking her head, "I'm not sure that's the best idea." She turned around after and said, "She will listen to me." So she again began walking towards Mars.

Neptune stepped closer to her girlfriend before whispering, "If want she says is true, what do we do if her words don't reach her?"

Uranus lowered her head slightly at the question, "I don't know honestly."

* * *

Mars caught up to him after a couple seconds and pointed her hand at the ground in front of him, setting the area in front of him ablaze, forcing him to stop. As soon as he turned around, Morganite quickly shot his hand out at Mars, but she was just as quick to react grabbing his arm as his hand began to glow brightly. She pointed his hand toward the sky as the bright blast flew into the sky harmlessly. His eyes widened, no one had ever managed to be quick enough to redirect his attack before. A moment later he hissed in pain as he felt a searing pain in his arm. He looked up to see Mars' hand on his arm was on fire and slowly burning threw the clothing on his arm, burning away the flesh beneath her hand. He dropped to his knees and cried out in pain. The smell was enough to make him vomit, if the pain didn't do that first. Suddenly he felt that his arm had been released, though it still felt like it was on fire. He cradled his injured arm against his chest and glared at Mars.

"I am going to take my time with you and let you experience pain beyond your imagination. You will beg me for death by the time I'm done with you." She and swiftly kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backward, while she sprinted after him. She watched him slam into the ground and waited a moment to see if he'd immediately get up, but once he didn't, she stop and spoke again, "I see that you take great pride in your speed." Mars said as she slowly approached him with smile. "I believe I will take that from you first then." She pointed her hand at him a moment later, "I don't know if you are human or just using that body, but I'm sure it's safe to assume if I do this…" She said and shot a flaming arrow into his left knee causing him to cry out in pain, which only intensified when the arrow exploded after a second.

She smiled as she watched him hold his leg and cry in what could only be described as agony, "I get the distinct feeling that you've simply relied on your speed for too long. Have you not even taken a punch?" She dropped to one knee and brought her hand back.

He looked up at the solider of flames and expected her to be aiming at his face, but his eye widened when he saw she was directing her fist towards his already injured knee. He hurried got out the first words that came to mind in order to stop her, "Please! I beg of you! I already can't walk anymore!"

Mars stopped just before hitting him and smiled before getting up to her feet, "Oh…I didn't realize…perhaps it would be better to just end this…" She said and pointed her hand at the man's chest, "Of course you have yet to beg for your life like I promised." She pulled back an invisible string and a flaming arrow appeared in her hand, just as she was about to release the string she quickly changed her hand was pointing. She released the string and the arrow flew into his shoulder, imbedding itself there and not exploding like usual. She then did the same to his other shoulder. Mars leaned forward and rested the palms of her hands on the ends of each arrow. She watched the man writhe around in pain beneath her, "How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?!" He said through gritted teeth.

Mars pressed down on the two flaming arrows causing the man to scream out in pain. She smiled at him, "This pain…is it palatable to you?" Mars asked and waited a moment for an answer. When she didn't receive one, she pressed harder down on to the arrows, causing him to scream out even louder. "You seem to have no problem causing others pain. You wish it upon my daughter in fact. Are you really going to succumb to this level? You must know, this will not end until I decide to end it." She said and stood up fully before snapping her fingers, almost immediately the two flaming arrows disappeared.

She watched him gasp and try to crawl away before walking slowly beside him, "You threaten my daughter." She said and kicked him in his midsection causing him to flip on to his back. It took him a few seconds, but again he tried to get away, rolling on to his stomach and dragging himself a little bit away. She balled her hands into tight fists and promptly punched him in the face, sending back to the ground. She stood over him and held her hand out to her side, "You threaten my love." She kicked him, so that he was again on his back.

In her open hand a flame formed, which grew quickly into a small tornado of fire, at least until she closed her hand around the base of flames. As soon as her hand closed around it, the tornado subsided and the flames formed into a sword of fire. "Did you really think I'd allow you to live after all of that?" She said and gripped her weapon tighter, which seemed to cause flames to swirl around the already fiery blade. Mars held the blade above her head and just as she was prepared to swing it down…

"Rei! Stop!"

Mars' hand stopped as soon as she heard the voice calling to her. She quickly looked over her shoulder, to see the girl who called out to her, running towards her. Morganite noticed Mars' attention was elsewhere, so he used the momentary distraction to disappear in a flash of light. Mars immediately turned back to the bastard she'd been fighting, when she felt a change in air around her, only to see that he was nowhere to be found. She closed her eyes for a moment and confirmed her suspicions; she couldn't feel his presence any more. She cried out angrily and slashed at the pavement, scorching the ground with each strike. She didn't know how long her outburst lasted, but once it was done, she was breathing heavily, her arm felt as though it were made of lead, and her hand was throbbing so painfully that she could no longer hold onto her sword. She dropped the blade and as soon as she did, it disappeared in a flash of red.

"Rei…"

The voice was much closer now. It was much softer when she heard it again. It was familiar and calming, but she couldn't allow herself to look at the girl again, knowing how near she was. She couldn't help feeling as though merely looking at her would corrupt her, she still felt so angry, it wanted to consume her…she could feel it. That was the exact moment she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. They held her tightly as she felt her also press flush against her back. Usagi was such a calming presence, but she still felt so angry, she could feel her body begin to shake so she hugged her girlfriend's arms around her waist, "Don't let me go…please…"

"I never will." Sailor Moon said quietly while tightening her hold just a little more before resting her cheek on her shoulder.

Mars closed her eyes and focused only on her girlfriend, she knew she wouldn't be able to calm herself otherwise. She called upon her breathing techniques she used during meditation. It only seemed to somewhat help and she could feel her frustration begin to build, even though she knew that in and of itself was counterproductive. 'Usagi is right here, I can't…I can't…'

Sailor Moon lifted her head and tried to get a look at her face as she felt Rei's body tense, but she didn't have a real angle from her position, so she leaned down and kissed her neck. She peppered light kisses up to her cheek, before pulling away a little and moving close to her ear, "Focus on me, my voice. Nothing else matters okay? It's just you and me and I'm not going anywhere, I'll never let go. I love you, Rei; so I know you are stronger than this energy and even if you don't think so, trust in me. I'm with you and together we are stronger than anything."

Mars took in her girlfriend's words and took a deep breath, she needed to remain calm and do as Usagi said, believe in her words. She let hands drop from her girlfriend's, which still held her tightly. Again she summoned her practiced breathing techniques as she closed her eyes and focused on her girlfriend, she was all the mattered at the moment, she needed her if she had any hope of centering herself. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt herself begin to smile at her Princess' declarations of love and devotion to her in her ear. She finally reached back up and touched her forearms lightly, "Thank you, Usa." She said softly. She felt her hold loosen, she was sure of what was coming next, but she wasn't quite ready to look into her girlfriend's eyes.

She looked down, even as she felt Usagi move in front of her. Her eyes caught sight of her right hand and saw how red and angry it looked. Now that she'd calmed down, she could still feel it throbbing, though it was pretty dull at this point. She held her hands out in front of her, they reminded her of how she acted just a short time ago, a painful reminder of what she'd become. Mars could feel her body begin to shake as she looked down at her hands, 'What did I become?' She suddenly felt so incredibly exhausted as she dropped her knees and continued to stared at her hands, "I'm a monster…I'm no better than a youma…no I'm worse." She balled her hands into tight fists, she didn't know if she wanted to punch something or cry, maybe both.

"Look at me…" Moon demanded and knelt in front of her girlfriend.

Mars kept her head down, how could she look at her love after how she just acted. She allowed herself to become a monster,  _willingly_. She allowed that energy, an energy she knew to be evil, control her actions. She felt sick. How could she willing allow that dark energy to control her? She knew well enough what that energy could do. Yet she used it nonetheless. She told herself that she wasn't so weak as to give in to that power and yet here she was. There was no excuse for her actions. Sure, she drove back their enemy, but she could have lost everything to do that. If Usagi didn't stop her…

"Please…look at me." Moon pleaded with her girlfriend.

Mars shook her head, "How can you even want to look at me?" She asked bitterly.

She felt her girlfriend's hands on her cheeks and she immediately closed her eyes, but she didn't fight when she felt Moon lift her face from its downward position. She couldn't see her reaction, but she could hear a sigh escape her lips.

"Open your eyes." Moon urged calmly.

Mars closed her eyes tighter and shook her head as much as she was allowed. She didn't want to open them; if she did, she had a feeling what the other girl would see and she didn't want to see her reaction. She was disgusted enough with herself, she didn't think she could handle her Princess looking at her like that as well.

Moon leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Mars lips. She rested her forehead against her girlfriend's and spoke, "I love you and nothing will change that, I promise you that. You're my other half and I won't have you thinking poorly of yourself. There is nothing that will change my feelings for you and there is nothing you can do that will dampen my love for you either. Your pain is mine, so I understand what you are feeling, so very clearly. You have nothing to fear from me, love." Moon quickly captured her girlfriend's lips in a searing kiss. Tears unwillingly fell from Mars' closed eyes as soon she felt her Princess' lips on her own. She felt wetness on her cheeks even as she moved her lips in sync with the blonde's.

Eventually Moon was forced to pull away, partially for need of oxygen but also because she still needed to dispel her girlfriend's worries. She could see the tear stains that ran down Mars' cheeks, so she again placed her hands on either side of her face and thumbed any wetness. She smiled slightly as she continued to stroke her thumbs on Mars' cheeks, "Now let me see your beautiful eyes." Moon instructed calmly.

Even with all her assurances, it was still difficult to let herself be so vulnerable after how she acted just a short time ago. Despite feeling that much of the anger had dissipated, she could still feel the call of that energy, it was still there. As long as she could feel it so present, she knew her fear wasn't unwarranted. Still it was Usagi, her light, that was sitting in front of her and she loved her beyond everything, so she couldn't very well go against her plea. She took one more deep breath and slowly opened eyes.

When she opened her eyes, Moon could immediately see they were different. They weren't the eyes she'd looked into countless times, they were…darker. Her eyes still held a hint of amethyst color she loved to stare into, but they were very close to onyx, maybe only a few shades away. They were similar to how she remembered them looking when she had her one on one confrontation with 'Diana' outside the jinja. Still while the color was similar, her eyes back then didn't have the same life in them they do now. Despite how her love's eyes looked though, Moon's expression remained the same…loving and reassuring. Moon wiped away the last remnants of wetness from Mars' cheeks that escaped when she opened her eyes with her thumbs, never breaking eye contact the whole time. After a few moments of staring at her girlfriend with unfaltering love Moon spoke, "Listen to me. You are not a monster. You lost control, that's all."

"Usagi…I used that energy." Mars paused as though she was trying to work up the courage to finish her statement. "The energy she gave me." Mars said bitterly.

Moon closed her eyes for a moment and bit her bottom lip lightly, "I know." She said quietly, causing Mars to look a little surprised. She looked into Mars' eyes as she continued, "I felt it." She could see Mars was going to question her about that further, so she answered the unasked question, "I don't know what it is, but there's something about that energy that allows me to sense it. It's strange because I can't normally do that, but I can with that energy and because I can, I  **know**  what it does to you. I know that it wants to consume you. I won't let it, Rei. I promise you that I'll drive it back every time!"

"Usagi…" Rei said quietly as she undid her transformation.

"You are  **not**  a monster. The monster is the evil energy that was put inside you against your will. Now I want you to close your eyes for me one more time." Moon instructed. As soon as the request left her lips, Rei did as she was told. Moon leaned forward and placed a feather light kiss on her girlfriend's right eye lid and then she did the same to the left as well. "Now let me see your beautiful eyes again." Moon directed as she undid her transformation. As soon as she opened her eyes, Rei was met by Usagi's smiling face and…a mirror.

Rei stared into the mirror for a couple seconds, her eyes looked perfectly normal, she could already feel her eyes fill with tears as she handed the mirror back to Usagi, but her girlfriend's declaration afterwards broke the dam.

Usagi maintained her large smile as she said, "See, like I promised, I'll drive it back every time until I can find a way to cleanse you of it completely." As soon as she saw the tears that were threatening to fall no longer being held back, she moved forward and pulled her girlfriend into her. Rei buried her face into the crook of Usagi and simply let herself be consumed with everything that she loved about Usagi, at least until she held her a little too tightly, making her nearly scream, but for biting her lip to stifle the sound. Usagi pulled back as soon as she heard her girlfriend cry out painfully and looked over her in concern.

"Sorry, I think I might have a couple broken ribs." Rei answered her girlfriend's unasked question. "I guess now that the adrenaline has worn off, they are kind of hard to ignore." She explained, barely holding back a grimace as a sharp pain shot through her side.

Usagi nodded and fully detangled herself from the other girl and stood up, holding her hands out, "Let's get them looked at then." She said and took her girlfriend's hands, pulling her up to her feet. Rei gasped audibly as she stood back up, swaying a little, but Usagi kept a steady hold on her the entire time.

"Sorry." Rei whispered after a moment.

"You have nothing to apologize for, nothing. Especially if what you are apologizing for is being in pain, Rei." Usagi said seriously and wrapped her arm around the raven haired girl's waist, keeping her close, not willing to risk anything.

Rei didn't immediately start walking, instead opting to say one more thing, "I love you."

"I love you too." Usagi said, without missing a beat. She had a feeling that Rei would need to hear that many more times before this day was over and she would say it as earnestly each of those time too.

End ch. 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that concludes chapter 19. And so brings the return of some fighting and something I hinted at way back at the end of 'Her Battle'. Hopefully this was enjoyable, though I know the fighting was very Mars-centric, that's how I needed this chapter to unfold. Please drop me a review and let me know what you thought, like it or not LOL.
> 
> Also thank you to doggysmoo for beta-ing this again :D


	20. The Source of Darkness

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 20 – The Source of Darkness  
~~~~******~~~~

Chibi-usa gripped tighter onto her friend's uniform-for a different reason than Morganite this time. Something had changed in her Mama; she could feel it even from this distance. She never felt this type of energy from her, though she hadn't seen her fight that often, this felt different. She was overpowering him and that should have been something that brought happiness to her, but it only made her feel uneasy. She knew that name to be someone very strong, a leader among their group, so his defeat was a good thing-but she couldn't stop worrying about how her Mama was fighting.

She closed her eyes in an effort to shut out any visual distractions, she only wished to reach out and get a better feel of what she was sensing. She concentrated on where her Mama was fighting, but when she did, she couldn't even recognize her being there. 'It feels like there are two…' She gasped and let go to Saturn's fuku before taking a step back, drawing in the attention of her friend.

Saturn looked back over shoulder, "Are you alright?" She didn't move and Chibi-usa assumed that had to do with the barrier she was projecting, but she could hear the concern in her question.

Chibi-usa nodded slightly, "Yes, I'm sorry." She moved closer to the other girl after a moment, not wanting to be any trouble for her. Her eyes again focused on the fight, though the reality was that it wasn't much of a fight anymore. She knew why her feelings were so mixed now though, her Mama was giving off the same energy as them and that didn't feel like a good thing. That was when she noticed her Mother making her way over, 'I guess Mother must feel the same.' She thought and watched as her Mother stopped her Mama from finishing him off.

With the threat gone, Saturn finally lowered her shield and turned fully to the pink haired girl. She took a moment to look her over, her eyes were fixed on the two girls that would be her parents in the future and she could see that she looked concerned, "Are you sure everything is okay?" She asked quietly.

She tore her eyes away from the pair she was intently staring at and gave her attention to the girl in front of her, "Yes, I'm just…worried about…"

"Rei-san?" Saturn concluded. Chibi-usa nodded and looked past her friend once more, seeing both girls on their knees now. Saturn nodded as well and looked over her shoulder for a second before addressing the future Princess, "It would be best to speak with her about it rather than draw any conclusions. I'm sure she'll explain everything to you if you ask."

"Do you know?" Chibi-usa asked curiously.

Saturn took a second to answer the other girl, debating what she should say, eventually settling on, "I might have a guess, but you should talk to Rei-san as it's not right for me to speculate either."

She nodded slowly at her friend's reasoning and went back to watching her future parents.

~~~~******~~~~

Rei didn't immediately start walking, instead opting to say one more thing, "I love you."

"I love you too." Usagi said without missing a beat. She had a feeling that Rei would need to hear that many more times before this day was over, and she would say it as earnestly each of those time too. Usagi smiled and urged her girlfriend forward slightly, "We should get back to everyone else."

Rei looked at the group of girls, but didn't immediately make any sign of movement. They didn't look frightened of her, but she could see the concern on her friends' faces. She'd purposely avoided looking a Chibi-Usa, she was downright terrified to see how her future daughter was looking at her. She felt Usagi tighten her hold around her waist, bringing her gaze to the blonde, "I don't know if I can…"

Usagi reached her free hand up and hooked her fingers behind Rei's neck and pulled her into a soft kiss. She moved back a couple seconds later, "Of course you can. They might be worried, but they aren't going to judge you."

Rei looked away from the blonde and turned her gaze back to her friends again. She nodded her head slightly, though she couldn't quite erase the anxiety she felt, but the reality was-she was simply delaying the inevitable. She went to take a step when she felt her leg buckle, and had Usagi not been holding her, she probably have fallen to the ground. Both girls looked down and saw the deep gash on her leg, 'I'd forgotten about that…' She thought to herself.

"On second thought, maybe it would be best if help came to you." Usagi said softly and gently lowered them both to the ground. "Saturn! We could use a little healing over here!" Usagi called to the youngest senshi. The dark haired girl was kneeling beside Rei in moments.

She inspected the wound for a moment, seeing that it was clearly in worse shape than she'd seen it earlier. "You should have let me heal this earlier." Saturn said softly before holding her hands over the wound, in moments they both began to give off a soft purple glow.

"You'll be able to heal it though?" Usagi asked carefully, focusing on the younger girl while she rubbed Rei's back.

Saturn turned to the other girl and smiled, "Of course, Princess. My healing abilities can heal far worse." She said confidently. She nearly had the thought to explain exactly what she meant by her statement, but she didn't think Rei would be happy with her telling Usagi about the unnecessary pain she undoubtedly put herself through.

An audible sigh escaped Usagi's lips before she spoke again, "She also said that she might have some broken ribs as well."

Saturn nodded after a second, "Alright, I'll take care of them after I finish healing this."

Usagi looked up when she heard multiple feet approaching them. She was unsurprised to see all of their friends had now made their way over. "Hey everyone."

"Is everything okay?" Venus asked looking more at the raven haired girl than the blonde, but Rei was staring down at her lap, or perhaps watching Saturn's hands.

"Yes, everything is under control. Rei just needed some patching up." Usagi said, though she knew that wasn't what her friend was asking. She looked at her girlfriend for a second before leaning toward her ear and whispering, "If you don't say anything, they'll only become more worried."

Rei looked up and saw everyone's eyes on her, "I know all of you are worried and I'm not sure anything I can say will ease those worries." She said and lowered her head. She really wanted to be anywhere than she was at the moment, with all of her friend's eyes on her, but she knew there was more that her friends deserved to know. "I used a power that shouldn't be used lightly, but I am myself again."

"You're sure?" Uranus asked after a moment. The older woman's question brought glares in her direction from most of the inner guard, save for Rei herself.

"What kind of question is that!?" Venus asked angrily.

Before Uranus or anyone else could say anything, Rei spoke up. "It's a valid question." She could again feel everyone's eyes on her and again she stared down at Saturn's hands. "If I didn't have that energy under control at the moment, you'd know it, I promise." Rei said seriously before looking at her girlfriend for a moment, "I'd never hurt someone I care about though. This isn't like before. I know who I am."

Uranus nodded and undid her transformation, "I'm glad to hear that."

Rei nodded slightly, "I'm sorry to have worried all of you, that was never something I intended on doing, but I couldn't let things continue like they were. I don't intend to make a habit of using that power though, I promise." She paused for a moment and was nearly going to continue when she groaned softly.

"I'm sorry. The ribs still need to be reset in order to heal them properly. I will work as quickly as I can, Rei-san." Saturn explained without looking at her, instead focusing solely on healing.

Rei closed her eyes and even as she mentally prepared herself, she still gasped when she felt another rib realign itself. She felt Usagi place a soft kiss on her cheek a moment later and was sure there'd be no more discussion from her at least until Hotaru was done. She sighed and leaned more heavily onto Usagi as she felt one more rib shift back into place. Afterwards, most of the pressure in her chest seemed to go away, so she took that as a good sign. She took a deep breath and when she didn't feel any pain, she turned to youngest senshi, "Thank you, Hotaru."

The younger girl leaned back and wiped her brow, "You're welcome." She said releasing a deep sigh.

"Mama…" Chibi-Usa said softly, making herself known from behind Hotaru.

Rei sat up straighter as she addressed the pink haired girl, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but somewhere more private would be better." She looked over to where Haruka and Michiru were standing, "Can we head back your place and continue any conversations?" She asked.

"Yeah, that would be fine." Haruka replied.

Rei gave a quick nod and moved to get up, which Usagi quickly assisted her with. "Thanks." Rei whispered once she was on her feet. She felt a quick kiss pressed to her cheek a moment later.

"It's no problem, love." Usagi whispered back.

A smile spread across her lips as she looked at her girlfriend. She only took a moment though before she turned to everyone else, "Everyone okay to go?" She asked when she saw Hotaru still sitting on the ground, "Are you okay, Hotaru?"

The youngest Sailor Senshi looked up at the question, "Yes, I'm sorry I just need a second." She said and sighed softly. She was tired, though it wasn't so bad that she needed to delay them. She was about to get up when a pair of hands entered her vision. She glanced up further to see Chibi-Usa smiling at her, "I'll help you if you'll let me, Hotaru."

The dark haired girl lower head slightly when she felt her cheeks were warmer than normal, but still silently reached up to take the other girl's hands. She let the pink haired girl pull her up before saying, "How could I deny such an offer?"

Chibi-Usa smiled and squeezed her hands, "It's the least I can do because I know my presence here didn't allow you to help as much as I'm sure you would have liked."

Hotaru shook her head, "My job was maybe the most important here-to protect you."

The pink haired girl lowered her gaze to the ground because she felt as if her cheeks were aflame. It took her a moment to come up with an adequate response, but it seemed that she took too long because before she could reply Haruka quipped, "You two can flirt all you like on the way home."

Chibi-Usa missed the glare Hotaru shot the tall blonde as she turned to the avatar of Uranus at that time. She saw the tall blonde hold up her hands defensively, so she turned away from the woman and thought, 'Flirt…Is that what we were doing?' She hadn't really thought of it as that. Now that the thought was in her head though, she wasn't against the idea, but only if Hotaru thought the same. While she was inexperienced with friendships, true friendships, relationships that went beyond that were completely foreign to her. Perhaps she was silent for too long, as she felt her hands being squeezed. She looked at the dark haired girl holding her hands.

"Don't listen to Haruka-san. She often jokes about things she shouldn't." She said with a hint of anger as she finished, before urging her forward.

She didn't quite trust her words, so Chibi-Usa simply nodded. The other girl's reaction was telling and she was sure there was no reason to get her hopes up after hearing it. It was foolish to let an offhanded comment change anything. Still, change was perhaps giving too much weight to the Outer Senshi's words because she knew for a while now that her connection with Hotaru was stronger than a simple friendship; she just didn't have the words to describe it properly.

"Are you alright?"

The question brought Chibi-Usa's attention to her companion again. She nodded once again, though she realized not speaking probably would not help her so she added, "Yes. I just have a lot on my mind." Hotaru nodded understandingly in response and turned forward again. Chibi-Usa was glad that she seemed satisfied with her response, and it wasn't as though she were lying. She might have been understating things, but she didn't know if she could deal with everything going on in her head at once. She was still worried about her mother and while she knew that she had to think about Hotaru and what she was hoping from her relationship with her, she wasn't sure she could focus on both at the same time. As if to remind her, she felt the other girl give her hand a light squeeze. A small smile spread across her lips, 'One thing at a time was the best approach.' She thought and stared at the backs of her future parents.

~~~~******~~~~

Morganite groaned as he dragged his useless leg several more steps before collapsing. "Damn it!" Before he could even attempt to get himself up, he heard laughing.

"And here I thought Heilodor looked pathetic…" A voice called a short distance away. After a moment, a woman with red hair stepped out of the shadows. "I didn't think I'd see the day where you would come back in such a condition." She said, laughing as she finished.

"Bixbite, help me damn it!" Morganite demanded through gritted teeth.

The red head looked at him sharply, "That's not a very nice way to ask someone for help." She stepped closer to him and inspected his injuries, seeing a multitude of burns and bruises adorning his body. Judging by the damage he'd taken, she had an idea who he fought, but she wanted him to say it. "Then again, I can't recall a time you needed help." She paused and smiled, almost gleefully. "I wonder who it was to put you such a state…"

Morganite groaned as he tried to drag himself away. It was frustrating how long it was taking him to heal. This was a humiliation and it didn't help having Bixbite taunting him for information. Bixbite crouched down beside him, she slowly began to remove her red gloves, making Morganite stop, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Just trying to get a point across." She responded before gently placing her gloves on the ground. A moment later she snapped her fingers and her hand quickly became engulfed in flames. She could see him flinch and the sight made her smile, "Bad memories?" She asked, but only received a glare in return so she continued. "I am curious why a little fire scares you? Does it have something to do with this…?" She reached out to his injured knee.

He quickly reached out and grabbed her forearm before she could touch him. He could still feel the heat as it nearly scorched his skin again. "You are not stupid; you know exactly who is responsible for this." He said gesturing at himself.

The flames disappeared from her hand and Morganite released her arm. She pulled her arm back, picked up her gloves once more, and as she began to put them back on she spoke again, "And how exactly did her royal highness beat you down so amazingly. Heliodor I can understand, but you…"

"She used the same power as Goshenite!" He growled in anger.

Bixbite scuffed and stood up fully once again, "Interesting…Perhaps I should pay her visit then."

"If you fought what I fought, you'd be dead!" He exclaimed when he saw her begin to walk away.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Do you know why you are considered second to Goshenite?" She paused to see if he'd give any kind of response, but when he didn't after a couple seconds she continued, "Because I don't care about that hierarchy garbage. I only want an interesting fight and I believe that you have just given me one." She said and began walking again.

"You're just going to leave me here?!" He yelled in anger.

Bixbite laughed and continued walking as she said, "I'll send someone to pick you up…maybe." After a moment she disappeared, leaving Morganite to only growl in frustration.

~~~~******~~~~

Everyone filed into the large house after their short walk back. Haruka waited for everyone to enter before closing the door behind them. Rei gave a small tug on Usagi's arm, so she gave her a questioning look. "Would it be alright if I talk to her alone?"

"If you think that's for the best." Usagi whispered back.

"Talking to her one on one would be easier." Rei said nodded her head slightly. She would rather not have her girlfriend present when she relived what Kei did to her. She kissed her cheek a moment later before looking over to Michiru and Haruka, "Is there a room nearby that I can use?"

"Yeah, down that hall first door on the right." Michiru answered, pointing in the direction she was describing.

"Thanks." Rei said with a nod and released to Usagi's hand to walk over to her future daughter. Her approaching already drew the pink haired girl's attention, so she found her already watching her, "Let me tell you what I know is on your mind." She said and extended her hand. Chibi-Usa was quick to take it and let her lead her away from everyone. Before they got too far away, Rei turned around and said, "I will try not to be too long, in case anyone else has any other worries."

"Take your time." Haruka told her from across the room, causing Rei to nod and keep walking a moment later.

Almost as soon as they were out of earshot, Minako was in front of Usagi, "Is she really okay?"

"She's as okay as she can be, given the circumstances." Usagi said softly.

The other blonde nodded when Ami asked, "Does this have to do with our previous enemy? I remember what she said before you sealed her away."

"Yeah, she is the one that gave Rei that energy." Usagi confirmed.

"And I guess we don't know to get rid of it?" Makoto asked.

Usagi shook her head, "If I didn't cleanse it of her when I brought her back I don't know to do. I don't want to try something that could hurt her." She said and looked down, until she felt an arm drape across her shoulders. She looked up to see Minako smiling at her.

"And there is no one here that would ever think to do that." She said and tightened her hold a little. Minako turned her head and whispered, "We'll think of something."

"I won't let Rei fall into darkness." Usagi whispered back in return.

~~~~******~~~~

"Did I frighten you?" Rei asked quietly and watched the pink haired girl for her response. She had walked the other girl over to the loveseat in the room and had waited until she was sitting comfortably before speaking. She appeared hesitant to answer the question and that in and of itself was a loud enough answer to her. She sighed softly and knelt in front of her future daughter; after a deep breath she reached out and took the other girl's hands in her own and rubbed them comfortingly. She looked into her eyes and was a little saddened to see that fear hadn't completely disappeared. "I would never ever hurt you and I can't tell you how sorry I am that I scared you today." She said and while she saw the other girl nod, she knew this wasn't going to be explained away with one sentence. "Tell me what you felt." Rei probed gently.

Chibi-usa looked away and thought about how to best describe what she felt without hurting her Mama while still being truthful. There really was no way to say what she felt without simply outright saying what she felt while watching her Mama fight, so she just said it, "You felt like one of them…"

Rei nodded and stood up after a second, letting go of her hands as well. Chibi-usa immediately felt like she said the wrong thing, that she'd upset her and she was about to apologize for comparing her mother to one of them, but she spoke instead, "I thought as much." She walked closer to the loveseat, "May I sit here?"

She didn't quite trust her voice, so she simply nodded even as she felt unwanted tears threatening to escape her eyes. Her Mama shouldn't be worried that sitting beside her would upset her; she loved her despite what she felt earlier, but she wasn't being very good at reassuring her of that. "Are you upset, Mama?"

"Why…" Rei began but stopped she looked into her future daughter's eyes. She scooted closer to the pink haired girl and draped her arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer still, "I'm absolutely not upset with you. I want you to be honest with me; I need you to be." She said and kissed the top of her head. Rei took a deep breath before speaking again, "I don't know how much you know about the past, but I don't imagine this would be a tale I shared unless it was necessary. It's pretty recent for me, but I want you to know how I was able to use that energy."

"The same energy they use?" Chibi-Usa asked softly.

Rei nodded, "I believe so, yes."

"How?" The word escaped the girl's mouth before she could stop herself.

Rei smiled slightly before saying, "I'm getting to that, I promise." She again paused for a moment before continuing, "We found ourselves against an enemy of our past, more like from our previous lives on the Moon. She held a grudge against Serenity…sorry, Usagi and myself to an extent as well. She hid in the shadows and had youma do most of her dirty work until one night I was goaded into a fight that ended up being a trap, and they captured me." She stopped at the sharp intake of breath from her future daughter, "I'm right here, sweetie. This is in the past and while the memories are fresh." She rubbed her back lightly before adding, "It can be a real burden to sense other people's emotions. Did I never teach you how to block it out?"

The pink haired girl nodded her head slightly, "Yes…but you also told me that understanding what someone is feeling is sometimes truer than their words."

Rei laughed for a moment at the other girl's statement, though they were her words, well her future self's words. "That is true and you should always trust your feelings. I just don't want you to put so much on yourself, especially when it's my emotions. As I told you, all of this is very recent for me, so my feelings are still raw. Everything she did to me and made me do, I'm not completely over, so I'm sorry if that is influencing you."

Chibi-usa pulled a little out of the other girl's hold and looked her in the eye, "You shouldn't apologize for that Mama."

Rei smiled and touched her cheek softly, "You're sweet, like your mother, but my pain isn't something I want you to experience." She said and closed her eyes while she took a deep breath. She focused on controlling her emotions, something she knew that she would need to do if she wished to continue this story. There was still too much pain and anger about what happened with Kei. She opened her eyes and was met with a pair of confused blue-grey eyes staring back at her.

"Mama…" Chibi-usa nearly whispered.

"I'm sorry, but I won't let my emotions become your burden." Rei said softly, but even as she finished she could see the hurt in her daughter's eyes. She looked away for a moment before deciding something. She focused back on the other girl, staring into her eyes as she spoke, "Just allow me to finish this explanation and then I promise that I will never close myself off to you again." She said with the utmost seriousness. She could immediately see the change in her daughter's eyes so she added, "You know how serious I take my promises, don't you?"

She received a simple nod followed by, "I do, Mama."

She smiled for a second before speaking again, "Alright then, that's a promise between us." Rei said seriously and received another nod from her future daughter. "The reason I have this energy is because of the woman that kidnapped me. She messed with my head and memories which made me hurt my friends. She was someone that was completely corrupted by this energy and she transferred some of it to me, but I don't think she had full control over what she was doing." She paused for moment as another thought entered her mind, "Or perhaps this energy has a will of its own…" She said almost to herself. She shook her head a moment later before continuing, "Either way I believe she unknowingly weakened herself, but it still took Usagi to drive her out of my mind and eventually defeat her."

"And mother can't….?" The future Princess began to ask, but Rei already knew where she was going with her question.

Shaking her head before speaking, "No, Usagi already brought me back. If she could have cleansed me of this energy, I'm sure she would have at that time."

The pink haired girl nodded her head slightly. She had never felt her Mama use that energy in her time, so she still believed that her Mother had some role in ridding her Mama of it. That energy was evil and while she trusted her Mama, she was still worried about her.

"I won't be using that energy again, unless I feel like I can be in control." Rei further explained though she added in her head, 'That just means I need to get stronger, so I don't feel that helpless against an enemy again...'

"I believe in you, Mama." Chibi-usa said sincerely, breaking Rei out of any further thought.

Rei smiled and hugged the smaller girl, "Thank you. That means a lot to me." The pink haired girl eagerly returned the hug and they stayed like that for several seconds, during which Rei lowered her mental defenses once again. She heard her future daughter thank her, causing Rei to smile, "I will always keep my promises." She whispered back and felt the other girl tighten her hold a little bit more afterwards. She indulged her for a short time longer, it still boggled her mind a little that she could so easily slot herself into being this girl's parent, but this just felt natural to her now. She saw so much of Usagi in this girl, but she'd have to be in denial if she didn't say that she could see a lot of herself in her as well. There were still things she wished to know, like how she came to be though, she wouldn't be surprised if the girl in her arms didn't know herself. She sighed softly, knowing that she might not get that answer for a long time.

As she sat there a little while longer, she realized that they'd been in this room for some time now. She tabbed the pink haired girl on her shoulder, causing her to pull back a little, "We should probably meet up with everyone else, don't you think?"

She nodded her head after a moment, "Does that mean you are going to leave soon?"

Rei gave an affirmative nod, "Shortly, yes. Today was a little draining." She stated honestly. She wrapped one arm more securely around Chibi-Usa and got up from the couch. Once she was on her feet, she placed the smaller girl down and let her go to put her hands on her shoulders, "Are we good? Or did you have more questions?"

"I didn't have any more questions, Mama." Chibi-Usa said, shaking her head slightly.

"Alright." Rei said with a smile and dropped her hands from the other girl's shoulders and held one hand out for her take, which she did quickly. They began to leave the room a moment later, when Rei spoke again, "Were you still interested in me showing you some things you can use so you aren't completely defenseless?"

"Definitely, Mama!" She exclaimed almost immediately.

Rei laughed at her excitement, "How about after I get out of school on Friday? I know it's a couple days away, but I'd rather not do it tomorrow in case we work into the night and need to go to school the next day."

"Okay…" The pink haired girl said, much less enthusiastic a moment ago though.

Rei was quick to add, "That doesn't mean I won't see you before then." She paused for a moment as she remembered the last time she saw Usagi's mother. "I'm not too sure about tomorrow though, I may need to talk with Usagi's parents, but maybe I can drop by for a little while after."

"Mother too?" Chibi-Usa asked hopefully.

"I'm sure Usagi will be more than willing to come, but we'll have to see about her parents." Rei explained, she didn't want to get the girl's hopes up, but Usagi was good a convincing her parents to let her spend time out even on a school night so there was hope. 'Then again, Usagi could just sneak out; it wouldn't be the first time…' She thought as she reached for the doorknob.

"I would like to meet them at some point. I know I can't tell them who I am, but I'd still like to meet them." Chibi-Usa said before she could open the door.

"I'm sure we can arrange that. We just need to figure out some things first." She said with a smile before opening the door. The sound of the door opening seemed to catch everyone's attention as everyone turned towards them. "I'm sorry that I took so long." Rei announced as she stepped out with Chibi-Usa still holding her hand.

Usagi got up from the couch and moved to meet them both. She hugged Rei with one arm whispered into her ear, "Are you doing okay?"

Rei smiled and nodded in response to her question. A simple yes didn't do what is going through her mind justice, but that wasn't something she was going to get into at the moment. Bringing back the memories of what Kei did to her was just another thing on top of an already difficult day, but she felt like she needed to explain all of that to Chibi-Usa.

Usagi looked at Rei a little longer before completely pulling away and turning her attention to her future daughter, "Did talking to Rei help?" She asked quietly. The pink haired girl nodded with a small smile, while Usagi drew her into a hug and whispered, "I'm glad."

After a few seconds, Rei asked, "Where are Ami and Makoto?" when she noticed her missing friends.

"They promised Ami's mother that they would have dinner with her again." Usagi explained as she pulled away from her future daughter, while still keeping an arm around her.

"I probably should head home as well." Minako announced as she got up from the couch she was on, stretching her arms in the air. She walked over to Usagi first and gave her light hug before walking over to Rei and doing the same, but before she let go, she whispered, "Don't overstress yourself."

"I won't." Rei replied before her blonde friend stepped away.

"I'll walk you out." Michiru said a moment later, moving to meet the other girl.

Rei walked over to her girlfriend and touched her arm to get her attention, "We should probably leave soon too."

Usagi smiled and nodded slight, "Are you tired?" She asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." She replied lightly. She crouched down a little, so that she was more on eye level with Chibi-Usa, "Usagi and I are going to need to leave too." She said and touched her cheek lightly. "We'll see you again as soon as we can though and if you need to reach us before then…" She motioned to the other women present before continuing, "Everyone else here can get in touch with us quickly."

"Alright." The pink haired girl whispered before moving forward and hugged her tightly.

They remained like that for a few more seconds, before Rei pulled back a little and whispered, "I'm sure Usagi would love a hug as well."

Chibi-Usa smiled as she said, "Yes, Mama."

Rei fully let her go so that she could do just that. She stood up and Usagi traded places with her. She looked over to the two older women, "We're going to head out as well, it's been a long day."

"We understand." Michiru said and walked over to them, "I can let you out then." Haruka stood up and joined her lover a few seconds later.

Usagi pulled back from her future daughter, "Don't hesitate to contact us if you need us, just like Rei said." She received a nod from the pink haired girl, making her smile and give her one more quick hug, before joining Rei a couple feet away. As soon as she reached her, she took her hand in her own, giving it a light squeeze. "Ready?"

"I am, as long as you are." Rei replied before they began to walk over to the door, where Haruka and Michiru were waiting for them.

Hotaru had hung back watching everyone, waiting for Chibi-Usa to be alone before making her way over to the future Princess and tapping her shoulder, making her jump slightly as she was watching still watching her parents leave, Hotaru was quick to apologize, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just going to ask if you wanted to change into your clothes for the night." She noticed the curious look she was being given, as it was still relatively early, so she added, "It's just I know this has been a stressful day and I thought getting into something more comfortable might help."

"Yeah, okay…" Chibi-Usa said softly. She got the distinct impression the other girl was trying to get rid of her and while she was a little upset by that, she did think some time alone would be good for her as well, so she didn't put up much of a fight.

Hotaru looked away because the other girl's eyes said more than her words did and she was sure the hurt she saw there was her fault. She could hear click of her shoes on the wooden stairs telling her that she'd already begun walking away so added, "I'll be up in a couple, I promise." She didn't receive a verbal response, but she could see the slight nod of her head. She sighed softly and whether it was justified or not, it made her a little more angry at Haruka. She marched over to where the two older Senshi were, "I'm still mad at you." Hotaru said, looking straight at the taller blonde as she walked over.

Haruka sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "It was a joke. Chibi-Usa didn't seem particularly upset."

"Really? And you know that how?" She questioned before quickly adding, "And I told you that I don't want you making assumptions about her and me."

"I know what you are saying, but I was trying to help…" Haruka started to say, but was cut off before she could finish.

"It doesn't! It really doesn't help!" She said and took a deep breath in an effort to control her emotions before speaking again as she knew being angry when she next saw the future Princess wouldn't be good. She closed her eyes for a moment and continued, "So please the next time you have an urge to butt in, don't." She said and blotted up the stairs.

The room was silent, save for Hotaru's foot steps up the stairs. "She is still working out her own feelings; you shouldn't pressure her to say something she isn't ready to." Michiru said and wrapped an arm around her lover's waist.

"I was only trying to help things along." Haruka said with another sigh.

Michiru kissed her cheek firmly before saying, "I know love, but it's complicated for her. So I think it would be for the best to let them work it out amongst themselves." She said and rested her head on the taller woman's shoulder. She rested there for a moment before speaking again, "If they need to talk to someone, I'm sure they will."

~~~~******~~~~

They were already a handful of blocks away from the Outers' home when Rei squeezed Usagi's hand as they walked, drawing her attention. "I didn't truly thank you properly, Usa."

"There's no thanks needed, Rei. I knew how conflicted you were. You were only trying to protect everyone, but that energy wanted to twist your intentions. I couldn't let that happen." Usagi explained, looking away from her girlfriend as she finished.

Rei reached over with her free hand and turned her back towards her, "I'm so glad to have you Usagi." She said before leaning forward and pressed her lips to her girlfriend's.

Usagi returned the kiss eagerly, wrapping an arm around the other girl's waist, keeping her close even as she felt her pull away.

Rei rested her forehead against her girlfriend's, "I love you so much, Usa."

"I love you too, Rei. Forever." Usagi said with a content smile before closing the small distance once more. This kiss was much softer, but no less intense.

Rei reached up and brought a hand to Usagi's cheek, lightly caressing the soft skin beneath her finger tips until she felt a small smile form on her lips, breaking their kiss. She pulled back and stared into the cerulean eyes in front of her, "As much as I am for kissing you until the sun comes up, we probably should keep walking. I don't your parents getting mad at me for not getting you home."

Usagi nodded and took a step back, but kept her arm wrapped securely around Rei's waist, "I'd rather keep kissing you, to be honest." She said with a pout.

"Me too love, me too. Maybe somewhere a little more private than where we are at the moment would be better though?" She said with a smile and leaned in for one more quick kiss. "Perhaps no more sneaking into your room though. I'd rather not get on your mom's bad side." She admitted lightly.

Usagi nodded, "I wouldn't want her to say I can't stay over at the jinja." Now that her mother knew about them, some things were easier but there was still her father that they needed to talk with. "We'll have to talk with Otou-san soon too."

"Yeah..." she said in agreement, though that had been something she already thought about and getting that conversation over with as soon as possible. "If today hadn't been so taxing and it hadn't gotten so late, I'd suggest we talk to him tonight, but I don't think I have the energy for that tonight."

"No, I didn't mean tonight." Usagi was quick to add. "I know today was..." She stopped when she felt Rei kiss her cheek.

"I know, Usa." She said and pulled back with a smile. "But I know we'll need to have that conversation soon. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Whenever you feel up to it." Usagi replied and tightened her hold around her waist.

Rei sighed softly, "I would rather we talk to him soon, sooner the better to be honest. It doesn't seem right for your mother to know and for him to not." She explained. It was ironic if she thought about her own father because she had every intention of not talking to him about her relationship with Usagi despite already speaking with her Jii-chan. It was usually easier to forget about him as he seemed to forget about her existence anyway. She felt Usagi come to stop, forcing her to do the same.

"What's wrong?" Usagi asked seriously.

'I'm going to have to get used to Usagi being so in tune with my feelings.' She thought to herself. "I was just thinking about my father..." She admitted, almost sadly. She didn't like talking about her absentee father at the best of times and this was far from that.

Usagi tried to get a better vantage of Rei's face without letting her go, but it wasn't really possible on the darkened sidewalk. She knew that her father was a sore subject, but she wasn't going to allow thoughts about him to make her day even worse. "One thing at a time, Rei. There's no reason to worry yourself about him until you are ready to talk to him." Usagi said softly.

Rei was silent for a couple seconds before she shook her head slightly, "You're right. It's not like he'll suddenly show any interest in my life."

"I'm so sorry, Rei." She said softly and held her girlfriend a little tighter. "He's really missing out on seeing what an amazing young woman you've become."

Rei smiled and kissed the top of her head, "I love you Usa and that is far more important to me than what he thinks or what he has missed." She meant every word too, she didn't need her father in her life as long as she had Usagi, not that she expected to speak with him anytime soon; his career was all he cared about. She really didn't want to waste another second on him though, so she felt like a change of subject was in order, "How do you think your father will be about everything?"

Usagi thought about that question for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "I'm not sure…though he will probably be happy that I'm dating someone closer to my age at least."

She left it unsaid, but Rei knew who she was referring to with that comment. 'At least I've got that going for me.' Rei thought to herself. Before she could say anything though, Usagi had stopped once more.

"I know it's probably not to a good idea to kiss you good bye at my door, so could we maybe do it here?" Usagi asked.

Rei looked around for a moment; she hadn't even realized that they were only a block or so away from the other girl's house already. She smiled and reached over and touched her cheek, "Of course, Princess." She said before leaning in softly kissing her. She started to pull back after a few seconds, but Usagi leaned back in and gave another quick peck before they could separate, making Rei grin even wider. She laughed a moment later when Usagi tried to lean in once more, but Rei placed her hands on her shoulders halting her. "Do you want me to walk you the rest of the way?" She asked smiling at the pout she received.

Usagi's expression changed a moment later at the question as she looked over shoulder and thought for a moment, "Maybe not, I don't want Okaa-san to try to guilt you into talking to Otou-san, when I know tonight wouldn't be the best time."

This time it was Rei to lean forward and pressed their lips together briefly before saying, "Thank you." She pulled back and took her hands, "I'll see you after school tomorrow okay?"

"Absolutely!" Usagi exclaimed with a beaming smile.

"I'll meet you at your place, okay?" Rei said and gave a light squeezed her hands.

Usagi nodded, "As long as you are sure you'll be up to it."

"I'm sure that I will be." Rei replied with a small smile, finally letting her girlfriend's hands go. She watched her turn down her street and start towards her home.

Before she got too far though, she turned once again and waved, "Bye Rei!"

Rei laughed for a second and shook her head slightly before calling to her, "See you tomorrow, Usa!" She continued to watch her as she got further and further away. In fact, she was so focused on her girlfriend that she didn't notice a black car with tinted windows that had been parked nearby for the past several minutes, even as it drove away a moment later.

End Ch.20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a bit of a broken record saying this, but sorry about another long delay. I'm sure that I'm not helping anyone following this story and I apologize for that, truly. For everyone still stinking with this and by extension me, I deeply appreciate it and thank you. Any comments or thoughts please leave them after the story, no matter what it is to say, I always appreciate those as well.
> 
> I also would like to thank doggysmoo for being my beta on this and for your patience with me too.

**Author's Note:**

> I still don't own Sailor Moon sadly. It should also be noted that this is a continuation of my first Sailor Moon story, I'll be referencing events from that story multiple times.


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